W ade Henderson ’85 still vividly remembers the spring day in 1981 that changed everything for him and the love of his life, Tommie. At the time, he was a high school senior and self-proclaimed native Houstonian, with his heart set on attending Rice University and an acceptance letter already in hand. Like many high school seniors, he thought he had it all figured out. But when he tagged along with friends on a trip to Texas A&M University—mainly as an excuse to skip class—he found something far more meaningful than just a day off from school.
“I came home and told Tommie I had to go to Texas A&M, that it’s where I was supposed to be,” Wade recalled. “She backed me up wholeheartedly. And we’ve never looked back since.”
Whether taking their church’s youth group to campus or volunteering at Ring Day, the Hendersons are passionate about pouring into their communities.
Wade’s academic journey at Texas A&M took a few turns before he found his niche in business analysis. But his true passion always lay in helping young people—a passion sparked in part by Tommie’s involvement in Girl Scouts and later nurtured through their service as youth leaders at their local church for over 30 years.
That calling eventually brought them back to College Station regularly when they began driving their church’s youth group from Houston on Tuesday nights to attend Breakaway, a nondenominational Bible study held in Reed Arena. “We started attending Breakaway to show the kids that this is what a public university can offer: values that build a foundation for life,” Wade said. Tommie added, “There’s nothing like it to see 5,000 students worshipping on a Tuesday night in a public setting. They could be anywhere else, but they choose to be there.”
Through the years, the Hendersons have poured into their community, officiating weddings, volunteering at Aggie Ring Days and cheering on former youth group members—including their own two daughters and son-in-law—as they’ve walked the stage at Aggie graduations. Now, they’re extending that spirit even further through a $25,000 endowed scholarship for students from their north Houston community, ensuring that their commitment to encouragement and guidance lives for generations.
Their motivation is simple: “We wanted more people to have that experience of being part of the Aggie family,” Tommie explained. “The camaraderie, the strength of the Aggie Network, the value of the education—it’s all life-changing. We want that for our scholars.”
After reaching out to the Texas A&M Foundation, it only took about three months to bring their scholarship to life. “Camille Easton with the Foundation’s university development team answered all our questions, no matter how complicated, and walked us through every step,” Wade said.
We wanted more people to have that experience of being part of the Aggie family. The camaraderie, the strength of the Aggie Network, the value of the education—it’s all life-changing. We want that for our scholars. - Tommie Henderson
New fully endowed scholarships typically take about two years to generate enough income to support Aggie students. However, Easton ’23 explained to the Hendersons that by adding $1,000 to their gift to be used as a direct student stipend, the scholarship could be awarded sooner—starting at the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year. During this time, the endowment would continue growing until it becomes self-sustaining and can generate future student stipends. “I was very intent on having our scholarship start as soon as possible,” Wade explained, “and this was the perfect way to start impacting lives immediately.”
For the Hendersons, giving is not about recognition—it’s about obedience to a calling. “Philanthropy is about giving your time, talent and treasure,” Wade said. “We believe those resources aren’t really ours—they’re what God has entrusted us with. We’re called to help, to give and to love. We’re just ordinary people doing our best to make a difference.”
