Generations of Longhorns
Susan McCartney Finnegan Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Social Work.
This endowment was established by Susan Finnegan, BS ’81 and Bill Finnegan, BS ’78, JD ’81, of Houston, TX. Susan and Bill have been married 31 years and are the parents of three children, Nick, Terrell and Scotty. Susan is proud to be a fourth generation Longhorn and is in good company—her husband and all three of their children are also Longhorns. She has recently joined the School’s Advisory Council and when asked why she decided to get involved as well as make this gift she said, “The School of Social Work’s mission resonates with me.” Susan experienced first-hand the importance of professions like social work in 2004, when her oldest son, Nick, died in a car accident right before he was to begin his freshman year at UT. “Our family was helped in our healing process by many wonderful and dedicated counselors. My hope is that this endowment will help students obtain an education and pursue a career in social work so that they can help others.”
It takes a village
Tu-Ting and Rachel Tsan Endowed Presidential Scholarship
Thanks to additional contributions, the endowment named for Tu-Ting and Rachel Tsan has been reestablished as an Endowed Presidential Scholarship. This prestigious designation is designed to recognize exceptional students by requiring a minimum GPA of 3.75 and awarding larger scholarships. The scholarship will continue to support juniors and seniors in the BSW program exhibiting financial need who are on track to graduate within four years or who are on track to complete a longer than four-year program within the recommended program length. Gift funds were provided by the Tsan’s children, Ms. Jenny Hoang and Mr. Peter Tsan of Houston, TX, along with a match from the ExxonMobil Foundation and El Paso Corporation.
Why I Give
Mary Mulvaney (MSSW ’80), clinical professor at the School of Social Work, has an easy answer to this question: she loves the school and feels that it has given her so much over the last 40 years.
“I remember how important scholarships were to me as a student, and want to help current social work students get the best experiences they can. It is gratifying to know that even small donations can make a difference for our students and for our school,” she says.