Dara ’75 and Carlos “Coddy” Pena ’74 have established the Daniel Pena ’45 Civil Engineering Endowed Scholarship. Distributions from this endowment will be used to provide one or more scholarships to full-time students in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University.
This endowment is named for Coddy’s father, Daniel Pena '45, who taught him about Texas A&M and its values. “We grew up listening to Aggie football games together on the radio and later, television. Though there were many lean years, my father never lost that Fightin’ Texas Aggie Spirit,” Coddy said. “Attending Texas A&M was an honor and a privilege and I am proud that I could carry on that tradition.”
By naming the scholarship after Coddy’s father, the Penas are able to first and foremost honor him and it allows their family to give back to the university that has given them so much. “We also know that this is a gift that will continue to give by helping future generations of Aggies,” Coddy said.
Coddy noted the class of 1945 was considered one of the greatest classes because of World War II, which took place during their college years. “Our father was in the 1254th Engineer Combat Battalion until 1946 and then returned to Texas A&M to complete his civil engineering degree,” Coddy said.
“We lost our father in November of 2020, and after going through his files, it was apparent that Texas A&M was near and dear to his heart, and thanks to the Texas A&M Foundation, we found a way to honor him with an endowed scholarship in his name.”
Through this endowment, the Penas hope to show appreciation and confidence in what Texas A&M is doing, to support its core values, programs, students and civil engineering department while also inspiring others to give back.
Coddy graduated from Texas A&M with his degree in finance in 1974. Dara graduated from Texas A&M with her degree in sociology in 1975. She and Coddy have two children together, Wes and Andrea.
How to Give
The College of Engineering is one of the leading engineering programs in the United States, ranking first in undergraduate enrollment and ninth in graduate enrollment. Endowments supporting the students in the college have an immeasurable impact on their education. If you are interested in supporting the College of Engineering and its departments or would like more information on how you can give, please contact Patrick Wilson, assistant director of development.