Hungary for Knowledge
The Robert D. ’77 and Janet K. Loeffler Scholarship provides opportunity for a young missionary student.
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Emily Johnson ’16, the first recipient of the Robert D. ’77 and Janet K. Loeffler Scholarship in Business at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, couldn’t be more deserving, according to retired HEB President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Loeffler. Johnson is a former Texas resident who now lives with her parents, both 1987 A&M grads, doing missionary work in Hungary.
“I am thrilled to have received this scholarship because it is encouraging and is a great financial gift to me and my family,” Johnson said. “I admire the work that Robert and Janet are doing to assist A&M students in getting an affordable education.”
Johnson graduated from the International Christian School of Budapest in June and is volunteering at SpeakOut, a Hungarian summer camp that teaches local students English and the tenets of Christianity. Thanks to the scholarship, Johnson now has a chance to realize her potential at Texas A&M.
“Here’s a girl whose parents are obviously giving a lot of themselves but not in a profession that makes a lot of money,” Robert Loeffler said. “You’ve got a young lady who has a ton of potential but might have a difficult time coming back to go to school unless she has some help.”
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| The Loeffler Family: Janet, Leslye '93, Lyssa '99 and Bob, MBA '7 |
The $200,000 endowed scholarship, funded through the Texas A&M Foundation in March 2012, is not a blank check, however. Johnson will have to maintain full-time student status and keep her grades in good standing to remain on the scholarship. The Loefflers’ scholarship rewards students who are talented and hardworking but lack the financial means to go to college.
“Janet and I were particularly interested in helping some kid out of high school who had everything needed to be successful at Texas A&M except for the money to go to school,” Robert Loeffler said.
This new scholarship isn’t just focused on putting one student through school. Since the couple decided to establish an endowment with their gift, their scholarship will help students in perpetuity. And they have long-term aspirations for the scholarship and the students it will benefit.
“I hope that over the years there’s an awful lot of people who can look back after a successful career and say, ‘That scholarship played a big part in launching me on a better life,’ ” Robert Loeffler said.
Now that the scholarship is established and a young woman full of potential has the opportunity she needs, the couple doesn’t regret their donations for one second.
“Having done it, we’re glad that we have done it and glad that we’re able to do it,” Robert Loeffler said. “I think that’s the responsibility of anyone who’s fortunate enough to be able to give back and to ensure they leave the place better than when they found it.”
For her part, Johnson is excited to start her next phase of life at Texas A&M.
“I can’t wait to experience my ‘home’ country again,” she said. “I look forward to pursuing my desire to become a part of the business world, and of course, attending Aggie football games!”
By Lawrence Sonntag
You can support students in the Mays Business School with a gift of an endowed scholarship to the Texas A&M Foundation.
