"The Degree From UT Changed My Entire Life"

Couple Makes Impact Supporting Students and Faculty

Roger Roberts and Mary McCallum

Roger Roberts and Mary McCallum are supporting Longhorns with a scholarship gift.

Roger Roberts and Mary McCallum believe in the transformative impact of education and now they want to help others receive the same life-changing experience they enjoyed.

The couple relied on the support of scholarships and grants to help pay for their education. Roger initially planned to take every other quarter off of school — while attending Florida State for his undergraduate degree — in order to work and save to pay for the next quarter. Instead, because of the generosity of donors, he was able to graduate in four years.

Mary shared, "Like Roger, and many students, I didn't have the money to pay for college either. Without the help of others, I would have graduated with a tremendous amount of debt."

Their personal experience inspired them to reach out to The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, where Roger earned his MBA. "The degree from UT changed my entire life," Roger said. "Mary and I owe it to society to give back and help UT attract top faculty and assist students who may not have the financial resources they need to receive an education."

After discussing different ways that they could support students and faculty, Roger and Mary decided to set up a charitable remainder trust to support scholarships and make plans to create an endowed faculty fellowship.

"A CRT was the right fit for us," Roger said. "It allows us to support deserving students and it provides us with some income."

"We would say to anyone interested in giving, contact UT," Roger said. "There are a variety of ways to support the places and programs on campus that mean the most to you. You can meet your financial goals and give to the university at the same time."

If you have questions about establishing a gift through your estate, please contact the Gift and Estate Planning Team at 512-475-9632 or giftplan@austin.utexas.edu.