ConocoPhillips Supports Texas A&M with $1 Million
As a 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 recipient of the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT Scholarship and president of the Student Engineers’ Council, Eric Calderon ’09 is excelling in his career as an Aggie. Calderon, a petroleum engineering student from Humble and first-generation Aggie, says that beyond financial support, the SPIRIT scholarship has provided him the opportunity to personally engage with company employees.
“When ConocoPhillips professionals, who work very demanding jobs, take time out of their schedule for you, their mentoring is very helpful and appreciated,” said Calderon.
Besides student financial support, the ConocoPhillips offers insight into the company and promotes careers in the U.S. energy industry, and provides a level of personal and professional development and mentoring normally not available with similar programs. “Because ConocoPhillips has helped me, I want to help future generations of Aggies,” said Calderon. “I hope to be a mentor one day when I’m an employee of a company like ConocoPhillips.”
Eleven Texas A&M students were chosen as the first recipients of the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT Scholars Program in the 2003-2004 academic year. Four years later, the program is thriving at eight universities. Texas A&M’s 58 current SPIRIT Scholars from the Colleges of Geosciences, Engineering and Business must maintain a 3.25 grade point average as well as other university requirements to continue to receive the $5, 000 a year scholarship.
The Texas A&M Foundation’s fundraising and investment staff works with former students, corporations and other nonprofit organizations to invest in the Aggie Spirit and MindSM. It does so through personal relationships built on confidence, trustworthy financial stewardship and an intelligent investment strategy. The Foundation is a privately governed, nonprofit corporation through which donors fund faculty chairs, student scholarships, capital construction, student activities and other Texas A&M University programs.
By Carrie Paxton-Lamke
