The powerhouse Texas Exes scholarship program broke its own record yet again this year, awarding a mind-boggling $3.1 million to 675 students. And last week, all of those students and their donors were invited to break bread together at three dinners: one each for named scholarships (Sept. 3), the Forty Acres Scholars Program (Sept. 4), and chapter scholarships (Aug. 28). In total, 750 people attended.

Hosting dinner for 750 is no mean feat, and every year Texas Exes staff members, volunteers, and the team at Rosemary's Catering put in extra work to make it happen. All the hard work is worth it when scholarship recipients and donors get to meet for the first time, says scholarships coordinator Tiffany Gonzales.

"What I love about the dinners is getting to see the students and donors interact," Gonzales says. "The chance to put a face to a name and see a legacy being built means a lot."

At each dinner, students, donors, and UT administrators all spoke about the role Texas Exes scholarships have played in their lives. At the chapter dinner, Dallas Chapter scholarship recipient Charles Gee told the crowd ,"This scholarship made me feel proud. It made me feel accomplished, it made me feel like I could finally be set free and do what was destined for me to do."

The list of speakers also included Dean of Undergraduate Studies Brent Iverson, Texas Exes CEO and Executive Director Leslie Cedar, Provost Greg Fenves, and many more.

Photo by Jose Lozano