Hilltopper Family Spotlight

Parent Creates Endowed Scholarship

From an early age, Debbie Adams’ parents, Larry and Cynthia Garrett, instilled a deep appreciation of higher education in her and her two sisters. Growing up during WWII and the Great Depression left a lasting impression on her father.

“I grew up hearing stories of my father’s childhood near the Naval Station in Bremerton, Washington, where he experienced rationing, and witnessed manned anti-aircraft guns and tethered dirigibles on his school grounds, as well as regular air raids, evacuation drills, and blackouts,” says Adams. She also often heard about her father’s hero, Audie Murphy, who was a native Texan and the most decorated combat soldier of WWII.

Moved by her parent’s belief in education and to honor Audie Murphy, she recently created an endowed scholarship to thank them. “I want to give the same gift of education that my parents gave their children, to other deserving students,” says Adams.

Discovering St. Edward’s

As a student at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State), Adams would occasionally travel into Austin and remembers passing the entrance to St. Edward’s a time or two. “I was mildly curious as to what kind of school it was,” she says. “As the years passed, I often heard the name ‘St. Edward’s University’ in conversation along with such words as ‘academic excellence’ and ‘Catholic education.’”

When it became time for her daughter, Kaitlyn Adams ’14, to select a college, St. Edward’s was on the short list. Adams was impressed with the university’s reputation for outstanding academics, small classes and the influence of the Holy Cross Brothers. She also appreciated the university’s emphasis on service, both locally and globally.

During their campus visit, Adams and her daughter were “completely taken by the beautiful grounds, water fountains and fabulous trees.” Kaitlyn loved the university’s location and felt like she “was in the right place” and decided to apply. A year later, Kaitlyn’s cousin, Kelsey Peters ’15, also enrolled at St. Edward’s.

Transforming Lives

Adams has been pleased with her daughter’s experience at St. Edward’s. “To quote Kaitlyn’s father, ‘No one ever complains that they have too much education,’” she says. And thanks to The Paul and Deborah Adams Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship, more students will reap the benefit of a St. Edward’s education for years to come.

Learn about the impact of scholarships on our students  »

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