Two years ago, the Texas Exes Dallas Chapter started a mentorship program that pairs the chapter's scholarship recipients with alumni and older students. Called Longhorn Match, the program is designed to give talented young students more than just a check. It fosters relationships between Dallas-area students and alumni, giving students an encouraging ear as they face the challenges of college.

Freshmen in the program are paired with two mentors—an alumnus and an older student who was previously a mentee. That double layer of support makes a big difference, says chapter board member and mentor John Donovan, BBA ’84, Life Member, in the video above.

"One of the neatest things that's happening is we've got last year's scholarship recipients now also being mentors to the new freshmen that are experiencing their first semester at UT," Donovan says. "Not only do they have a mentor back here, an alumni mentor, but they have a fellow student on campus."

Learn about the origins of Longhorn Match in this 2011 Alcalde story.

Video by Scott Hardesty.