Friends of the Archer Center Trust
The Friends of the Archer Center Trust helps educate the next generation of leaders from Texas by providing vital financial support for important initiatives that cannot be funded through our annual operating budget. Trustees commit to contribute or raise a minimum of $500 annually and have direct input as to how their donations are used. Each year, the Trust reviews and votes on student support or programmatic initiatives developed by Archer Center staff and the Archer Fellow Alumni Association (AFAA) and then vote on which initiative(s) to fund. The Friends of the Archer Center Trust is an important building block toward sustainable fundraising in support of current and future Archer Fellows and is a unique way for supporters and alumni of the Archer Center to have a significant impact on the Center's future.  Ten percent of the total amount raised from annual donations is added to the corpus of  the permanent Archer Center Trust Endowment to provide long-term sustainability of the Trust and important future initiatives.

To join the Trust, make an online donation through the Archer Center’s online giving portal and select “Archer Center Trust” from the drop-down designation menu under “Donation Information”.
​Members of the 2017 - 2018 Trust

Rebecca Anthony, Fall 2009 Archer Fellow
Omar Araiza, Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
​The Honorable Bill Archer
Sharon Archer
​Rick Archer
​Krupa Patel Bala, ​Fall 2007 Archer Fellow
​Arturo Barrio, Fall 2001 Archer Fellow
​Martha Bass Bauman
​​Jim Bayless
Liz Bayless
Chris Bjornson
Austin Bonner, Spring 2002 Archer Fellow
Bob Borochoff
​Bud Brigham
Donald G. Carlson
Julia Carlson
Anne Clutterbuck
​Sidd Dadhich​, Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
Marisela Salayandia Darmanin, Spring 2002 Archer Fellow
​Donna Steele Flynn
​Fred Funk
Sharon Archer Funk
Anna Bell Farrar Gall, Spring 2001 Archer Fellow
​​Melissa Gold
​Laura Gorecki, Summer 2013 Graduate Fellow
Ted Harpham
Marilyn Harris
Todd Hill, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
Carolyn Hodges
Grace Huffman, Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
Murtuza Hussain, Spring 2012 Archer Fellow
​Aynsley Interiano
Gerardo Interiano
​Bob Kay
​Susan Kay
Stephanie Linder
Rob Lively
​Tinia Lively
​Natalie Lundsteen
​Cameron Krier Massey
​Allie Medack, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
​Jorden Meneghetti, Fall 2016 Archer Fellow
Kat Murray
Stephen Myers, Fall 2005 Archer Fellow
Katie Naranjo, Fall 2007 Archer Fellow
​Gaven Norris, Fall 2009 Archer Fellow
Ashlee Pena, Summer 2016 Graduate Fellow
John Pitts
Lesley Pitts
Hans Rickhoff
​Katie Romano
Miguel Romano
​Gordon Rooney, Fall 2008 Archer Fellow
Jenifer Sarver
​Scott Sawyer
​Shannon Sawyer
Bret Schenewerk, ​​Fall 2006 Archer Fellow
​Lucy Panoyan Schram, ​Spring 2008 Archer Fellow
​​Claire Seitzman, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
​Nathan Seitzman, Spring 2010 Archer Fellow
Linda Shepard
Alexis Simon, Fall 2010 Archer Fellow
​​Summer 2013 Graduate Fellows
Aaron Swerdlow
​Carter Tatum, Spring 2003 Archer Fellow
​TC Turner, Spring 2002 Archer Fellow
Benedict Voit, Fall 2006 Archer Fellow
​​Andy Von Eschenbach
​Madelyn Von Eschenbach
J. Tom Ward
Bill Wicker
​Walter Wukasch
​Molly Wurzer, Spring 2007 Archer Fellow
Initiatives Funded by 2017-18 Trust
Scholarships for First-Generation College Students 
Each cohort of undergraduate and graduate Archer Fellows includes students who are the first in their family to pursue higher education. Oftentimes, these students have some of the most significant financial need as they tend to have little to no monetary support from their families. This initiative will provide scholarships to first-generation college students each fall, spring and summer semester. The stipends will be awarded through a need-based application process and will significantly help alleviate financial strains.
​D.C. Metro Cards 
​On average, Archer Fellows spend $250 per month on D.C. Metro or bus fares to and from their internships and classes around Washington and at the Archer Center. This is a substantial increase from transportation costs for most Archer Fellows during a typical semester on campus.  Funding this initiative to purchase preloaded metro cards for students with a significant financial need would help alleviate some of the added anxiety of the higher cost of living in Washington.
​Student Emergency Fund ​
A Student Emergency Fund will provide limited emergency financial support to student currently enrolled in the Archer Fellowship Program who are unable to meet essential expenses due to a temporary or unexpected hardship. Award amounts would not exceed $200 per student and are only awarded once. Decisions regarding disbursement of funds are made on a case-by-case basis by the Archer Center staff.
Travel to D.C. for Archer Fellows
Upon being accepted to the Archer Center’s programs, many students’ initial excitement is replaced by concern about how they will pay for expenses such as airfare to embark on their life-changing experience in the nation’s capital. This initiative will fund approximately 20 round-trip flights for Archer Fellows from their home city to Washington, D.C. 
Scholarships for Archer Center Alumni Pursuing Graduate Degrees and Public Service Fellowships
From Harvard Law School to Oxford and Teach for America to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Archer Fellow alumni enroll in prestigious graduate schools and participate in public service programs domestically and abroad. This initiative will provide six $1,000 scholarships to Archer Center alumni pursuing graduate degrees and public service fellowships. 
Essential Pantry Supplies for Archer Fellows  
Archer Fellows should not struggle to feed themselves during this impactful semester, yet this is all too common. Washington, D.C., is the 5th most expensive city in the nation where the cost of groceries is 30% more expensive than many Texas cities. Providing non-perishable pantry supplies in the Archer Fellow housing  and at the Archer Center throughout the semester will ensure all students can focus on their internships and courses in Washington. ​
​International Student Scholarships​
International students studying at UT System institutions from across the world enhance the educational experience at our campuses. This is also true of international students selected to participate as Archer Fellows. While the added expenses of living in Washington present challenges to many of our Fellows, this is especially true for our international students as they are not eligible for federal financial aid or many scholarships offered to U.S. citizens.
Alumni Ambassadors Program Expansion 
Based on research and student feedback, the majority of students learn about the Archer Center’s programs directly from our alumni. Based on this knowledge, we launched the Alumni Ambassadors Program in 2015, which competitively selects Archer Center alumni to assist with recruitment efforts on several of the 14 UT System campuses. Ambassadors work directly with the Archer Center’s recruitment and admissions manager and receive a small stipend to hold them accountable and recognize them for their work. This funding will support an expansion of this program to select more Alumni Ambassadors from additional UT campuses.
click here to view the 2016 - 2017 Trustees and funded initiatives
click here to view the 2015 - 2016 Trustees and funded initiatives
click here to view the 2014 - 2015 Trustees and funded initiatives