From Europe to Hong Kong to the Middle East, Adrien F. Drouilhet III ’64 has been more places than most people hope to see in a lifetime. After seeing firsthand the benefits of traveling abroad, he was driven to endow a study abroad scholarship in the College of Liberal Arts.
Dr. Adrien F. Drouilhet III ’64 and wife, Patricia P. Drouilhet
When Drouilhet was a student at Texas A&M, membership in the Corps of Cadets was still compulsory, female students were rare, and study abroad opportunities were nonexistent. Despite the progress made in the university since that time, studying abroad is still a financial impossibility for many students. With this in mind, Drouilhet and his wife endowed the Jason P. Drouilhet ‘04 Endowed Global Study Abroad Scholarship, named after his son who also graduated from Liberal Arts.
“When I was a student, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for my family to provide the opportunity to study abroad,” he said. “If students don’t have a family who can provide that for them, then the next best thing is a scholarship.”
Today, Liberal Arts students are leading the way in study abroad at Texas A&M, with more than 900 participants each year. However, there are only about 100 study abroad scholarships available within the college, making scholarships such as the one endowed by the Drouilhets so impactful. Studying abroad is crucial to crafting a well-rounded education and creating critical thinkers and civic-minded leaders, which is why it is a fundraising priority for the college in the “Lead By Example” campaign.
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at Texas A&M and his doctorate overseas, Drouilhet spent years teaching and serving in school administration around the world. He dedicated himself to ensuring students received the best education they could and said he found it rewarding to see the students succeed. His passion for both travel and education guided his decision to give back to Liberal Arts and Texas A&M.
“I saw a need to broaden our students’ experiences with time overseas,” he said. “When our students go to another country…I don’t think they realize the difference in living conditions, the difference in size of homes, the diet. Everything is different. It’s a big adjustment, but it’s a golden opportunity.”
In addition to this and other study abroad scholarships the couple have endowed, he began an exchange program for incoming international students at Goliad High School in Goliad, Texas. For Drouilhet, finding ways to provide international experience to students just comes naturally.
“If you like what you’re doing and you enjoy helping people, it’s easy,” he said.
This endowment is credited to Liberal Arts as part of the Lead by Example campaign at Texas A&M.
By Marisa M. Rios '17
This article was originally published by the College of Liberal Arts.
Texas A&M Foundation
The Texas A&M Foundation is a nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and leadership programs to enhance Texas A&M’s capability to be among the best universities.
