Former Marine, UTD Student Reflects on TI Founders Leadership Fellowship
By: Jeff Joiner | May 8, 2023
University of Texas at Dallas master’s student Michael Stout BA’18 believes his experience in the Texas Instruments Founders Leadership Fellows program has been the perfect cap to his years of study at the University. The fellowship has provided practical, working experience that he said balances well with his classroom time at UT Dallas.
Applications are now open for the yearlong TI Fellowship for individuals interested in learning about careers in nonprofit management and philanthropic fundraising. The fellowship offers a UT Dallas student or recent graduate hands-on experience working in the University’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations in an opportunity made possible by Texas Instrument’s investment.
“I knew that this prestigious fellowship would give me the tools to be a better University staff member, which is my career goal,” said Stout, the fifth TI Fellow who will graduate in May of 2023 with a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) from the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS).
“This fellowship has been the practical application of my education, because you learn so much stuff in the classroom within EPPS’s MPA program — budgeting, finance, human resource management, the theory of bureaucracies — but the fellowship has been the hands-on application of what I’ve learned.”
Stout, originally from Havre de Grace, Maryland, traveled the world after joining the U.S. Marines Corps at the age of 17. He served three tours overseas, one in the Indian Ocean in 2011 aboard the Navy amphibious landing ship USS Green Bay and two tours in Afghanistan in 2012 and 2013 where he was a member of a close air support liaison team.
After being discharged from the Marines, Stout studied at Santa Barbara City College in California where he also worked with the Santa Barbara veteran benefits office and was awarded the Red Cross Community Hero award for serving veterans of the armed forces on California’s Central Coast.
In 2016, he moved to Texas and enrolled in UT Dallas where he earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2018. At UTD he participated in a research study through the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences for subjects diagnosed with PTSD. Stout realized that his service in Afghanistan left him with lasting anxiety that he knew he need to address. The PTSD study at the Center for BrainHealth gave him that opportunity.
“That was one of the first things that I experienced at UTD, that the University is not just about teaching. I thought that was amazing,” Stout said.
Stout said his experience with a such a program that went beyond the classroom was an important lesson about the importance of philanthropy. Many schools and programs at UTD, like the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, serve a larger community than just students and those on campus. Raising money and providing time and talent to such programs is an important part of the work done by the UTD’s development and alumni relations team, he said.
“Really what the staff at the Center for BrainHealth gave me through the PTSD study has been so helpful to me,” he said. “The time that they gave me, the talent that they gave me – I am still rewarded by that today.”
Stout said one of the most important things he learned as a TI Fellow is that university philanthropy is about so much more than giving money.
“Through the fellowship, I have learned that treasure (financial support) is not the only form of philanthropy,” Stout said. “I used to just think that donations were what was most important, but the testimony, the ties, the relationships, the talent, those are just as important.”
Stout said that the TI Fellowship has also given him valuable skills applicable to many careers outside of the University.
“I view philanthropy as something that’s applicable to any profession, any job, particularly in higher education, but also in many other career fields,” he said.
Julie Piccirillo, senior director of corporate and foundation relations and manager of the TI Fellowship, said she has been impressed with the impact the program has had on the participants so far, including Stout.
“For the past five years, I have been thrilled to see the impact of the TI Fellows program on aspiring leaders in philanthropy and alumni relations,” Piccirillo said. “This focus on collaboration, learning and leadership development ensures that our TI Fellows gain valuable insights and build a strong foundation essential for success in the nonprofit and fundraising sector. I am proud of Michael’s contributions this past year.”
The Texas Instruments Founders Leadership Fellowship at UT Dallas is made possible by a grant from the Texas Instrument’s Foundation and is awarded annually to one student. Learn more about the fellowship and apply by June 9 to be considered.