{"id":3948,"date":"2026-09-25T18:17:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T18:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/?page_id=3948"},"modified":"2026-09-25T18:17:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T18:17:59","slug":"inspiration-for-generations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/inspiration-for-generations\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspiration for Generations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Revel in the stories of Tarleton State University graduates who now give back to the University through service to the Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now successful business professionals, and current Board Members<\/a>, <\/strong>each Member credits personal success and growth to the culture, educational excellence, devotion to students, and opportunity afforded by the University.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I grew up in Gorman, Texas, dreaming bigger than the town I knew. Tarleton gave me the foundation \u2014 academic and personal \u2014 to build a career in medicine and, later, to take the entrepreneurial leaps I never imagined possible. That’s the kind of runway a Tarleton education gives you: it doesn’t just prepare you for one path, it gives you the confidence to forge your own.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

– Dr. Alfonso Pino III<\/a>, Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Board President 2026-2027<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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As a first-generation high school graduate from a family of very limited means in Stephenville, I took a very large chance by attending college at the local campus, Tarleton State. \u00a0After all, I had no idea what college was or what it could do for me. Decades later, I now know that I owe higher education and Tarleton a huge debt of gratitude. \u00a0Everything I am and have accomplished, everything I know and believe, my lifestyle, the opportunities my daughter has taken advantage of, simply everything, I attribute to the education that I began at Tarleton State. \u00a0I never took a back seat to anyone in my graduate school or professional endeavors because of my superb undergraduate education. \u00a0This is why I have such an urgency now to give back to my alma mater as much as I can, knowing I can never fully repay my debt.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

– Dr. Stan Carpenter<\/a>, Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Board Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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I chose Tarleton with the idea that it would provide the opportunity I needed to prepare for moving on to a bigger university. Instead, I stayed because I realized it had everything I needed and more – tradition, culture, a feeling of family, and all the support a student needs to thrive. From the outstanding professors that provided me a top-quality education to the friends I met and still have over 25 years later, Tarleton was a foundational part of my life and I’m incredibly proud to be able to give back and be a part of helping future generations have that experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

– Jim Engelke<\/a>, Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Board Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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I was blessed to have parents who taught me hard work, perseverance, and the courage to dream big. As a first-generation college student, my education at Tarleton became the bridge between those dreams and the opportunities that followed. It changed the course of Tracey\u2019s life and mine and created a legacy that will impact my family for future generations. We have been blessed beyond anything we imagined growing up, and I will always be grateful for the role Tarleton played in making those dreams possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

– Rocky Hardin<\/a>, Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Board Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Coming from a small west Texas farming community, Tarleton was a good fit for me.\u00a0 The education I received prepared me for graduate studies and afterwards it led to a 20 plus year career as a faculty member in the Tarleton Animal Science Department.\u00a0 After my time on the faculty, I began another career in real estate development and continued to stay connected to Tarleton.\u00a0 Thankful I chose Tarleton; it is a special place. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

– Randy C. Hines<\/a>, Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Board Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Choosing Tarleton State University changed the entire trajectory of my professional and personal life. I arrived as a kid with a learning disability who needed a hands\u2011on, true\u2011to\u2011life education \u2014 and as a first\u2011generation college student, I needed a place that believed in me. Tarleton delivered. It\u2019s where agriculture met business, where I earned my Ag Business degree and later my MBA, and where professors and student life made it easy to stay, even when times were hard. It\u2019s also where I met my wife \u2014 the person who\u2019s been at my side through every challenge and every success. Tarleton gave me the foundation to grow into an IT leader at a Fortune 100 company and eventually launch my own IT services company. Everything I\u2019ve built traces back to that decision \u2014 and the education, relationships, and experiences that only Tarleton could provide.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

– Steven Ranly<\/a>, Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Board Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revel in the stories of Tarleton State University graduates who now give back to the University through service to the Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc. Now successful business professionals, and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1096,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3948","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/author\/pburwell\/","display_name":"pburwell"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 hour ago","modified":"Updated 1 hour ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on September 25, 2026","modified":"Updated on September 25, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on September 25, 2026 6:17 pm","modified":"Updated on September 25, 2026 6:17 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","featured_img":false,"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1096"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3948"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3960,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3948\/revisions\/3960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/foundation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}