Posted on March 24, 2015 by KC Gonzalez
Mike and Brigitte Perkins received a Christmas gift from their children that will last a lifetime. Their children Kimberly Stanley, ’95, Keri Saiz, ’01 and Michael Perkins, a UT-Austin alumnus, established the Mike and Brigitte Perkins Commitment to Education Endowed Scholarship in the UTSA College of Business.
Mike and Brigitte Perkins standing in front of the Business Building
“Each year our children pick a theme for their gifts. This year it was the gift of education,” said Brigitte, a local realtor. “They thanked us for supporting their education, announced that they established the scholarship and presented us with a book including notes from all of the donors. We were extremely humbled by the generosity of the gift.”
More than $70,000 was raised to establish the endowment, and gifts came from over 50 family members and friends. The annual scholarship will be awarded to graduates from the Northeast Independent School District (NEISD) in perpetuity.
“While at UT-Austin I was lucky enough to receive scholarships from endowments set up by individuals,” said their son Michael, a partner at Slattery | Perkins P.C. and a member of the college’s Accounting Advisory Board. “Ever since then, I’ve had a goal to pay it forward. I had the idea that I wanted to honor my parents by creating an endowed scholarship in their name.”
Mike and Brigitte have committed their lives to education. Married over 40 years, the Perkins graduated from Churchill High School, and their children were graduates of MacArthur. Both have been involved with NEISD in a variety of ways. Brigitte has been serving on the NEISD Board of Trustees for the last 17 years, and Mike has served on numerous bond committees and has been an ardent supporter of NEISD athletics.
Upon hearing the news, the Perkins drove to UTSA’s campus the next day to have their picture taken outside of the Business Building. “Our kids know how we feel about education and how important it is to us,” said Mike. “We want to continue to grow the scholarship fund.”
The scholarship will be awarded beginning this fall to students in the College of Business. Contributions to the scholarship can be made at giving.utsa.edu/perkins .
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— KC Gonzalez
