Changing the World - Jan/Feb 2018

CHANGING THE WORLD What your investment in UT makes possible

STANDING UP FOR SOCIAL WORKERS Major gift provides surprise scholarships.

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Above and opposite:

Social work students and staff celebrate with Steve Hicks on the inaugural day of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work.

CREDIT: Marsha Miller

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hen ky lie youm a ns a nd a mber per ry w er e escorted

into a room with three other students on the first day of their Master of Social Work (MSW) program orientation, they both began to panic.

Youmans, who relocated to Austin from Denver for graduate school, worried that her offer of admission to the top-ranked school might be rescinded.

Perry, a recent UT Austin graduate, feared that her financial aid package was in jeopardy.

Both women’s fears were entirely unjustified.

The news shared with Youmans, Perry and three other young women was indeed shocking, but the good kind of shocking. They learned that a local philanthropist had made a major gift to

the School of Social Work, and he wanted part of that funding to be used to help pay for their graduate school tuition.

All five women, who had never met before, immediately burst into tears. “I started crying, not out of relief for my financial situation, but simple amazement that someone would want to make that kind of a gift to me,” said Perry.

“We were all speechless,” said Youmans. “We are all the type of people who work really hard for everything we have and the news of this

scholarship made us all feel so supported since someone we didn’t even know, someone who is not even a social worker, believed in us and our chosen profession.”

That someone is Texas telecommunications pioneer and UT Regent Steve Hicks, who announced on September 6, 2017, a $25 million gift to the renamed Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Describing his donation as “the biggest gift I will ever make,” Hicks made a strategic decision to invest in a field that does so much for so many, often with little financial reward.

“Once I saw the mission of the School of Social Work and realized what the school needs, the fact that students graduate with a lot of debt, I thought it was the place where this gift could make the most impact. I want to be able to say that in my life I made a difference and helped other people,” Hicks said.

Hicks’ gift is already making a profound difference in the lives of the five graduate students who make up the inaugural cohort of Steve Hicks Social Work Scholars. Each student is receiving a sizable scholarship to cover their tuition and fees. Youmans and Perry share their stories below.

KYLIE YOUMANS

After graduating from the University of Denver with a degree in psychology, Youmans fulfilled a lifelong dream of attending cosmetology school.

For two years, Youmans fine-tuned her hair styling skills at the Paul Mitchell School in her native Denver, while saving money for graduate school.

She a lso practiced her counseling skills.

“When you cut people’s hair, they open up and share their feelings,” Youmans said.

It didn’t take long for Youmans to learn about the darker side of the beauty industry and the hard truth that spas and massage parlors can be gateways for human trafficking.

“I became even more motivated to go to graduate school so I could become a licensed social worker and eventually counsel victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking,” she said.

Youmans planned to work part-time after she settled in to graduate school, but as a Steve Hicks scholar she now has more flexibility. “The scholarship is a phenomenal gift that is already allowing me to focus more on school and other volunteer projects,” she said.

One of those projects involves training stylists in Austin on the signs of domestic abuse, something several states already do or require as part of licensure. Someday, Youmans hopes to combine her love for hair styling and counseling in “hair-apy” sessions, an idea that lights people up whenever she mentions it.

“ Mr. Hicks is literally using his money to change the world. This man who has never met me before wants to help me get through graduate school so that I can help people. I am so humbled and hope his gift inspires others to change the world through charitable giving.” — amber perry AMBER PERRY

Perry always knew she wanted to do something clinical where she could interact directly with people. For a few years, she toyed with the idea of medical school, but u ltimately decided that social work was a better fit.

Perr y is work ing part-time as a cancer resource specia list w ith the A merica n Cancer Society, while attending graduate school on a threeyear plan to earn her MSW degree. “Living in Austin is super expensive, and I have undergraduate student loans,” she said. “The scholarship has essentially cut my financial burden in half, and I’m really grateful that I don’t have to take on any more debt.”

After graduating, Perry plans to tap into her work experience and jump into clinical practice working in oncology social work. She loves working with older patients and eventually plans to pursue a doctoral degree and do research.

A Bright Future

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the first cohort:

2017 STEVE HICKS SCHOLARS • Sarah Bruns • Sarah Champ • Thaisa Howorth • Amber Perry • Kylie Youmans

“ The fact that every

teve Hick’s $25 million donation is one of the largest gifts to a public school of social work to date and will cement the school’s standing as a top-10 graduate program.

The Steve Hicks Social Work Scholars program plans to grow each year, helping the school attract a talented and diverse pool of students. Hicks has issued a $5 million matching challenge to create endowed scholarships. Hicks will match gifts of $50,000 or more, and donors will have the opportunity to recognize a family member or organization of their choice.

Join the challenge at sites.utexas.edu/stevehicks-challenge.

social work graduate possibly affects the lives of one thousand people over their career … that’s the ultimate leverage.”

— steve hicks

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CHANGING THE WORLD What your investment in UT makes possible

MANY HANDS, BIG IMPACT

Longhorn Nation rallies for Hurricane Harvey victims.

Above: Texas National

Guardsmen assist residents affected by flooding caused

by Hurricane Harvey onto a military vehicle in Houston.

CREDIT: Lt. Zachary West

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h e n h u r r ic a n e h a r v e y p u m m e l e d h o u s t o n a n d

surrounding gulf coast communities in late August, Texas Longhorns did what Texas Longhorns do best: fight. Across the Forty Acres, UT students, faculty, staff

and alumni burst into action—organizing food and blood drives, assembling hygiene kits, and volunteering at local shelters.

“ I felt a tremendous sense of relief when I realized the aid I would be getting. It lowered my stress levels and truly made a difference.” — marcel reyes Creativity and collaboration were the name of the game. The Butler School of Music organized a marathon concert featuring students, faculty, and guest artists, while the Senate of College Councils recruited volunteers to take class notes for students who had to miss class. Students even organized a dodgeball tournament to raise money. Humanity First raised more than $1,500 for relief kits by partnering with 40 Acres Photography and offering professional headshots for students and faculty.

The Texas Exes also activated its extensive network, collecting thousands of dollars in donated gift cards to send to alumni and their families along the Gulf Coast.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

Hundreds of UT students also provided boots on the ground, travelling to neighborhoods devastated by the storm. The Texas Blazers, a service group on campus, sent members to serve with UT alumni in Central Houston, helping families whose homes had been flooded. Other student groups such as the Chabad Jewish Student Organization and students and faculty from the Cockrell School of Engineering also made the journey to Houston and the Coastal Bend areas to pitch in and help.

St udent E mer genc y S er v ic e s i n t he Office of the Dean of Students distributed more than $30,000 in emergency funds to impacted students whose immediate needs ran the gamut from food, school supplies, and replacement textbooks to transportation back to campus and housing. “I felt a tremendous sense of relief when I realized the aid I would be getting,” said Marcel Reyes, a junior from Houston. “It lowered my stress levels and truly made a difference.”

THE PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE

Shortly after the storm hit Texas, The University of Texas at Austin president Gregory L. Fenves issued a challenge to the Longhorn Nation: raise $500,000 to match the $500,000 that the university set aside to provide additional financial support to students affected by storms and flooding. Longhorns met the challenge with more than $502,000 raised. Those dollars have already made a difference in the lives of impacted students who were able to remain enrolled and continue their education.

“Helping these students has been a major priority since Hurricane Harvey, and will continue to be for years to come,” said Diane ToddSprague, the director of financial aid at UT. “The funds provided by President Fenves and generously donated by our caring UT community are critical in supporting impacted students. As families face devastating losses caused by the storms, this financial assistance will help students continue their education without interruption.

More than a Building OPENING OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER BEGINS NEW ERA IN THE COCKRELL SCHOOL

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n August, the new Engineering Education and Research Center (EERC), opened its doors, ushering in a new era of innovation and cross-disciplinary teaching and research at the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. The vision for the EERC began nearly a decade ago with the goal of creating a space where students, faculty, and researchers from within and outside Texas Engineering could gather, learn, collaborate, and innovate.

On Sept. 28, an impressive crowd of friends and supporters gathered in the EERC to celebrate its grand opening.

A new era of The 430,000-square foot state-of-the-art building innovation and has nine floors and is located cross-disciplinary on the site of the 50-year old teaching and Engineering-Science building, which was demolished in research 2014. The new space offers teaching and research labs, a library and café, and the school’s first auditorium with seating for nearly 300 people. The EERC is also the new home for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cockrell School’s largest academic department.

Pride for the Cockrell School of Engineering, which consistently tops national and international rankings, runs deep. Hundreds of alumni, community members, corporate and individual donors stepped up to make the EERC a reality.

In fact, the $65 million raised in philanthropic support for the EERC is the most funds raised in support of a building on the UT Austin campus.

“This is an incredibly exciting time to be an engineering student at UT Austin,” said Sharon L. Wood, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. “As soon as you walk into the EERC entrance, you immediately realize that it is no ordinary building. We see students collaborating, designing, and solving problems in many new ways, and with our student services under one roof, including advising and career services, the EERC provides robust resources that will enhance the students’ experiences.”

Changing the World is produced by the University Development Office. Please send your feedback and suggestions to Bianca Bellavia at bbellavia@austin.utexas.edu. For more news and information about giving to UT Austin, visit giving.utexas.edu.

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