For College of Technology Dean's Board member Paul Frison and his wife Barbara, funding scholarships and assisting student achieve their education has been a rewarding experience.
"Barbara and I were once educators, and our daughters have also worked in the profession," Paul said. "We have always wanted to assist young students to progress with their education to the point of university graduation and successful employment."
The Frisons have funded a scholarship for COT students majoring in Computer Information Systems for nearly 10 years, and have renewed their support for the 2012-2013 academic year. One of the most enjoyable parts of the experience has been the impact they have been able to make on their recipients – of seven Frison scholars, six have graduated and are employed, and the seventh is a current student.
Noe Castro, a previous Frison scholarship recipient, credits receiving the scholarship with changing his family legacy.
"Without the financial support from the Frison family, my family wouldn't have had the opportunity to witness my accomplishment as the first in my family to obtain a university degree," said Castro, a network engineer at NRG Energy. "Now my purpose is to give opportunities of success to others, just as the Frison family gave me an opportunity to succeed."
Monica Haaksma said she is grateful the Frison scholarship allowed her to continue studies while her mother recovered from illness, and for the opportunities it allowed her to network in the industry through Paul's role at the Houston Technology Center.
"Because of the Frison family, I was able to meet several CEOs in the technology industry, see a robot created by an all-female team, and attend the Gulf Coast Innovation conference," said Haaksma, an ITI Backup Operations Analyst at HP.
Scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year will be awarded later this spring.