Robin Rae and William P. “Bill” Jensen ’85 have established the Jean P. and William M. Jensen Endowed Scholarship. Distributions from their generous endowment will be used to provide one or more scholarships to full-time students in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering at Texas A&M University.
Bill and Robin established this scholarship in Bill’s parents' names because of the love they have for Texas A&M and their support of higher education. Although neither of them attended Texas A&M, Bill says his father saw himself as an adopted Aggie and loved every aspect of the university.
As for Bill, he was a first-generation Aggie and was initially drawn to Texas A&M because of the engineering program, but was also attracted by its rich history and tradition. “The analytic skills I learned at A&M while earning a degree in industrial engineering have served me well in my practice, but most of all, the A&M core values and network have made a tremendous impact on my career,” he said.
Additionally, Bill’s grandfather was a college professor and lifelong educator at both the University of Wyoming and Texas A&M. His grandfather felt strongly about paying it forward and Bill shares those same beliefs, “I am also a firm believer in paying it forward and want to be able to give back to students in financial need,” he said.
Bill and Robin hope their scholarship will have a positive impact on its recipients and that it will inspire them to one day help future Aggie engineers. “I am hopeful that the endowment will provide a lasting scholarship for many students attending A&M and that, likewise, they will pay it forward,” he said.
Since graduating with his degree in industrial engineering in 1985, Bill went on to earn his law degree from St. Mary's Law School in 1989 and has been a patent attorney for 31 years. Bill and Robin have two children, Parker and Alexandra. Parker is a junior at Schreiner University and may attend graduate school at Texas A&M, and Alexandra has been accepted to Mays Business School at Texas A&M.
Giving with a purpose
The Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering is celebrating its 80th anniversary in the coming years. The department’s goal for this celebration is to have 80 scholarships for the 80 years the department has existed. Endowments supporting the students in the department have an immeasurable impact on their education. If you are interested in supporting the department’s goal or would like more information on how you can give, please contact John Berheim, senior director of development.