Endowed scholarship to open doors for A&M-Victoria students
Future generations of students at Texas A&M University-Victoria will soon benefit from the generosity and vision of two pillars of the Crossroads community, Dr. Robert E. “Buddy” Lee and Jerra Odum Lee.
Through the creation of the Dr. Robert E. “Buddy” Lee III and Jerra Odum Lee Endowed Scholarship, students who may otherwise not have the opportunity to pursue higher education will now have a pathway to their academic and professional dreams.
“Jerra and Buddy Lee are great people, wonderful examples of generosity and selfless care for others in building a stronger community for generations to come,” said Amber Countis, vice president for advancement and external relations. “They are champions of education in Victoria and Jackson County and beyond and have been so supportive and excited about the university’s recent transition. It was an honor for us to work with them on creating this gift for our current and future students. They were clear in their intent to make a college education more attainable for our students, and I am so excited about the many students to come who will benefit from this investment.”
The scholarship fund, in the amount of $20,000, aims to break down barriers for first-generation students and those hailing from Jackson County, Victoria County and the state of Arkansas.
The newly established scholarship will give preference to undergraduate students enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, while graduate students may also be considered to create a broader impact across the student community.
“If you had a chance to make a difference in somebody’s life, how awesome would that be,” said Buddy Lee. “We have worked hard, and we have been lucky, and so to give somebody who really wants it the opportunity to better themselves, I just think that’s a really good use of our resources.”
For the Lee family, this focus is also deeply personal. Buddy Lee has roots in Jackson County, and his wife, Jerra Lee moved from the state of Arkansas to Texas.
The scholarship is as much an investment in the future as it is a celebration of the Lee family’s legacy. Dr. Lee is a retired third-generation dentist and fifth-generation rancher. Throughout his life, he has embodied a tradition of hard work and dedication both in dentistry and agriculture.
“Everybody’s got a little spark,” Lee said. “And if you could light that spark and make that fire bigger, you don’t know where it might lead. And wouldn’t that be a great thing.”
The couple also has co-founded R. E. Lee Photography, extending their commitment to the arts. Jerra Lee has also distinguished herself as a civic leader across decades, lending her talents to organizations like the Victoria Fine Arts Association, The Texas Zoo, CASA advisory board, Victoria Symphony Society, the Victoria Independent School District Education Foundation and The Bronte Club.
“Arts organizations and education foundations are integral parts of the community that you want to build and make better,” Jerra said. “They all blend together and build on each other to make our community a better community.”
As A&M-Victoria prepares to welcome scholarship applicants, the Lee family said they look forward to seeing how this gift will uplift new generations, continuing the legacy of inspiration and empowerment that they have cultivated through years of service and giving.
“Through this endowment, we hope to give others the chance to achieve more than they ever dreamed they could become,” Buddy Lee said.
For those who are interested in contributing to this fund, or are interested in learning about how to create their own scholarship, please contact Amber Countis at countisa@tamuv.edu or Jennifer Ortiz Garza, director of development, at ortizgarzaj@tamuv.edu.
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.