Spotlights
Our alumni and friends choose to offer support for many reasons. For some, they want to honor a recent graduate or give back to the institution that helped them carve their place in the world. For others, they simply want to create a path for future students, to help them learn more and go farther than ever before. Read powerful stories from our amazing donors and see the power of together from their perspective.
“It’s a feeling that you just don’t get until you give. Once you make that donation, you’ll love the feeling as long as you live.”
Charlie Moncla
“I feel lucky to be able to give back through this planned gift, especially since the University was a gift to me.”
Anna Gerac
“You don’t make it where you are today without where you were in the past. [UL Lafayette] was a very big part of that.”
Dr. Tess Van Hoy
“I love what I’m doing now because I get to use my background in higher ed and music to work closely with students who have similar interests. It’s been rewarding to help them toward their goals.”
Dr. Leonard Springer
“We gave our money so that someone who might not have had a great childhood or wasn’t raised in the best place will have an opportunity to change his or her life, and that’s what we were looking for.”
Kimberly Bainbridge
“These scholarships provide financial relief to students who work hard while they’re in college. The University [has] provided more for me than I could ever repay it.”
Annie Perrett
“I’ve become the artist that I couldn’t have foreseen when I enrolled. UL Lafayette did that for me, and I am forever grateful.”
Jessie Quantrille
visual arts student
“UL Lafayette has provided me a great place to learn and grow. Everyone here wants you to succeed and lets you know that they are here to help.”
Claire Werther
mechanical engineering student
“I can say that I can never imagine myself doing anything else in life. The experience I gained … is something that I can never repay, and I will forever be grateful for.”
Brock Zeringue
nursing alum
“The Department of Petroleum Engineering strives to provide the finest drilling education in the country. It provides students with certifications that are needed to begin immediately working in the industry, exposing students to a variety of software applications that are used industry-wide, hands-on laboratories, and regular tours to rigs and other oil and gas-related facilities. I’m leaving the program with the skills and knowledge I need to have a successful career in oil and gas.”
James Downing
petroleum engineering student
Once you’re a Ragin’ Cajun, you’re always a Ragin’ Cajun. For Ceci and Michael Neustrom, that means leaving a legacy at a place they call home: the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As the University continues to grow, Ceci and Michael Neustrom know that their contribution will help Ragin’ Cajuns thrive in the future. The Neustroms’ planned gift will benefit both the Department of Criminal Justice and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center.
Ceci & Michael Neustrom
Patrick and Paul McWilliams were identical twins, but they shared more than a mirror image.
Those who remember the brothers say both were passionate about their careers in geology, their hobbies, and their alma mater.
And now, as the result of a $1 million bequest to the School of Geosciences, the McWilliamses have ensured current UL Lafayette students will inherit their mutual love for the discipline.
Patrick & Paul McWilliams
“Although it’s been a long time since I attended the University, I wanted to do something meaningful with my money, I wanted to give back to the students.
When they’re busy working in a few years, I want them to see how my gift benefitted them, I want them to realize that it’s something they got from alumni, and they have the chance to give back like I did.”
Marsha Kramer
Theall Charitable Remainder Trust
Jack Theall knew what he wanted to accomplish with part of his estate. He wanted to receive a lifetime income for him and his wife; he wanted to minimize capital gains, income and estate taxes; and he wanted to honor professors who made a positive impact on him while he was a student at UL (then SLI). Thanks to some advice from his professional financial advisor he was able to accomplish what he wanted. A Charitable Remainder Trust enabled the Thealls to save capital gains taxes, income taxes, and estate taxes. A lifetime income from the charitable trust was paid to Mr. & Mrs. Theall for their lifetimes. Their legacy was created when assets that remained in the trust after they both passed away were gifted, according to their wishes, to UL to establish endowments in their names and the names of professors who positively impacted Mr. Theall as a student at the university.
Phil & Jean Piccione Endowments
Phil & Jean Piccione have proudly proclaimed, “We enjoy helping the University accomplish its goals!” The couple recognizes that top faculty members produce excellence in teaching and in research. To that end, the couple established endowed faculty awards in UL’s Moody College of Business Administration and UL’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions. They also have established endowed professorships and endowed scholarships to help professors and students. Additionally, the couple has made provisions in their will to provide a bequest for the University, and both are charter members of the Louisiana Heritage Society, for being planned gift donors.
Thibodeaux Bequest
Rarely do two people impact as many lives as have been impacted by the Dr. Ben & Clare Roy Thibodeaux planned gift to UL. A bequest in the Thibodeaux’s will established an endowment that will forever provide scholarship assistance for students who attend UL. Each year, more than 100 entering freshmen from Lafayette & St. Martin parishes are offered a 4-year scholarship (each valued at $8,000) from the Dr. Ben & Clare Roy Thibodeaux Endowed Scholarship Fund. The Thibodeauxs heartily believed in helping students achieve their dream of receiving a college education. Their bequest is allowing many students’ dreams to come true.
There are several ways you can contribute to the bright future of UL Lafayette. Gifts can be made via credit card payments, stocks & securities, bank drafts or checks made to the University. If you would prefer to make a planned contribution through your personal estate, please contact us directly so we can ensure your generosity is acknowledged and accounted for.
Enriching Lives Here at Home
UL Lafayette is embedded in the fabric of Acadiana. Whether it’s through one of many cultural preservation initiatives or our robust workforce development programs, we are committed to strengthening our surrounding community and creating a place where people want to live for generations to come.
None of this is possible without your support. Thanks to generous gifts from philanthropists like you, our university is able to deepen its commitment to protecting our region’s historic heritage and help local businesses thrive with talent equipped to succeed.