In the 1970s, when Dennis Wayne Schulze ’86 was about eight years old, his father taught Summer Classes at Texas A&M University. After work, his father would come home and share his love of Texas A&M, introducing Dennis to the Aggie spirit. Dennis learned many things about Aggieland, but one value stuck with him to this day: Aggies help other Aggies.
Dennis embodies this lesson. He has donated scholarships in his family’s honor, including his dad and himself, to support Aggie engineers.
“The biggest honor is to 'pay it forward,' and hopefully, the current students understand how important this approach is to continue,” Schulze said.
After graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in civil engineering, Dennis worked his way up to chief engineer for the design, operations and construction of freight railroad infrastructure for HDR Engineering, the largest freight railroad consultant in the world. He credits his success to the knowledge and support he gained at Texas A&M and a few Aggie and non-Aggie mentors along the way.
Dennis has learned much throughout his educational and professional career, and he has advice to share with current and future Aggies.
”Treat everyone with respect. Everyone has value. Stay focused on your goals. They are achievable. Even in the darkest times, never give up. Work to excel. The work ethic developed at Texas A&M has been part of my everyday life.”
Today, Dennis is enjoying retirement, but is also working on returning to Texas A&M. He spends his free time woodworking, contributing to the audio/visual team at his church and sharing his knowledge with others. His family keeps him motivated, and he enjoys living the Aggie experience with them.
“Family is important to me. My wife, Donna, is our adopted Aggie, but she is as committed to Texas A&M as any former student. My daughter, Leslie, works hard every day as a current student and shares Aggie traditions and values with others,” Dennis said.