The Carol '90 and William "Slater" Sauer '87 Endowed Scholarship will support students in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
Image: Slater Sauer
Carol ’90 and Slater Sauer ’87 have established the Carol ’90 and William “Slater” Sauer ’87 Endowed Civil Engineering Scholarship. This endowment will be used to provide one or more scholarships to full-time students in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University.
From an early age, Slater had a strong connection to Texas A&M through his father who was Class of ‘55. Slater was able to attend several football games growing up and visited the campus regularly while staying at his grandparents’ house near Northgate.
He said that his father’s Aggie ring stood out as a key feature of Texas A&M and he thought that someday he might wear his own. “Although at the time, I had no idea what the symbols meant, I thought the carefully crafted ring was amazing, and at times I envisioned wearing my own one day,” he said.
As a freshman, Slater joined the Corps of Cadets in order to ensure he had the full on-campus experience. “The Corps encouraged service, university involvement and helped foster leadership skills. It helped open new and unexpected opportunities and paved the way to developing relationships that I continue to treasure today,” said Slater.
He attributes his leadership, academic and relationship skills to his experiences at Texas A&M and says that those skills have played a significant role in both his personal and professional life.
Not only do Carol and Slater hope their scholarship will provide students with a vital education, they hope it will encourage students to get involved in organizations and activities to feed their passions. “The confluence of academics, leadership development and building relationships are key ingredients that propel individuals toward valuable life experiences and help them forge new friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Slater.
Carol and Slater chose to establish a scholarship for several reasons.
“We believe that gifts supporting academia will help provide others the opportunity to gain a great education and become a part of a wonderful institution with a long-lasting legacy of service and leadership,” Slater said. “Our wish is that students that benefit from these gifts will have wonderful experiences like we did and will want to provide opportunities for future generations to come.”
Slater said that his and Carol’s greatest memories and feelings of belonging during their time at Texas A&M were the driving force behind their desire to give back and support students.
From an early age, Slater had a strong connection to Texas A&M through his father who was Class of ‘55. Slater was able to attend several football games growing up and visited the campus regularly while staying at his grandparents’ house near Northgate.
He said that his father’s Aggie ring stood out as a key feature of Texas A&M and he thought that someday he might wear his own. “Although at the time, I had no idea what the symbols meant, I thought the carefully crafted ring was amazing, and at times I envisioned wearing my own one day,” he said.
As a freshman, Slater joined the Corps of Cadets in order to ensure he had the full on-campus experience. “The Corps encouraged service, university involvement and helped foster leadership skills. It helped open new and unexpected opportunities and paved the way to developing relationships that I continue to treasure today,” said Slater.
He attributes his leadership, academic and relationship skills to his experiences at Texas A&M and says that those skills have played a significant role in both his personal and professional life.
Not only do Carol and Slater hope their scholarship will provide students with a vital education, they hope it will encourage students to get involved in organizations and activities to feed their passions. “The confluence of academics, leadership development and building relationships are key ingredients that propel individuals toward valuable life experiences and help them forge new friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Slater.
Carol and Slater chose to establish a scholarship for several reasons.
“We believe that gifts supporting academia will help provide others the opportunity to gain a great education and become a part of a wonderful institution with a long-lasting legacy of service and leadership,” Slater said. “Our wish is that students that benefit from these gifts will have wonderful experiences like we did and will want to provide opportunities for future generations to come.”
Slater said that his and Carol’s greatest memories and feelings of belonging during their time at Texas A&M were the driving force behind their desire to give back and support students.
How to Give
The College of Engineering is one of the leading engineering programs in the United States, ranking first in undergraduate enrollment and ninth in graduate enrollment. Faculty endowments encourage and reward faculty members who embody the passion for, and commitment to, the education of engineering students. They bring years of rich experiences from the field and add tremendous value to the College of Engineering. If you are interested in supporting faculty or would like more information on how you can give, please contact Patrick Wilson, assistant director of development.