Dr. John Thoppil ‘97 said he has experienced the power of the Aggie Network firsthand.
“The biggest advantage for me was getting the President’s Endowed Scholarship,” he said. “Because of that, I was fortunate to graduate without debt.”
Now, he and his family are determined to free future Texas A&M students of undue financial burdens. He has established two scholarships: the Drs. Nimmi and John J. Thoppil ’97-1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandegrift ’03 Memorial Scholarship and, more recently, the Drs. Nimmi and John Thoppil ’97 Endowed Arts & Sciences Leadership Scholarship. The funds from this gift will provide one or more scholarships to full-time first-generation students pursuing an undergraduate degree in either biology or chemistry while participating in the Arts and Sciences Leadership Scholars (ASLS) Program.
“I wanted to help someone who is first-generation, because a good education is one of the best pathways to future success,” Thoppil said. “I wanted to help those who may not have role models in education. One of the best predictors of success is the ZIP code in which you grew up. While we can’t change that, we can create mentorship and opportunities for these students.”
Thanks to a unique opportunity made available by the College of Arts and Sciences in partnership with the Texas A&M Foundation, Thoppil's ASLS gift will be recognized through the naming of the Drs. Nimmi and John Thoppil '97 Laboratory Prep Area on the second floor in the state-of-the-art Instructional Laboratory and Innovative Learning Building (ILSQ). The nation’s premier laboratory building, which opened on West Campus in 2023, offers an immersive experience that promotes active, group and interdisciplinary learning for more than 15,000 freshmen and sophomores each year.
Besides relieving the financial stress of a college education, Thoppil hopes his gift will inspire his scholarship recipients to create a legacy of selfless service and give to others in the future
“I hope people will continue to pay it forward,” he said. “I’d love to see this become a generational tradition.”