2025 McCombs Scholarship Appreciation Event

Life-changing support took center stage at the luncheon for scholarship recipients and donors

McCombs School of Business scholarship recipients and supporters gathered this spring for the 2025 Scholarship Appreciation Event. Held in conjunction with the spring Dean’s Advisory Council meeting, the event provided an opportunity for student recipients to connect with their scholarship donors over a buffet lunch.

The program featured remarks from scholarship supporters Patricia and Dominic Sung, MBA ’03, followed by current scholarship recipient and second-year MBA student Karan Kanatala.

Dominic Sung is not only a McCombs scholarship supporter alongside his spouse, Patricia — he is also a former scholarship recipient. Now the head of gas origination at TotalEnergies in Houston, Sung recalled times in his life when he struggled through school. After immigrating to the United States from China, Sung’s parents struggled to make a better life for their family. When faced with sending both of their children to college, tough choices had to be made.

“I only learned after I was in college that my older brother chose to attend his second-choice school so I would have the chance to attend the college of my choosing,” Sung said. “I could not be who I am today without having had help and assistance along the way.”

As a recipient of the Jesse H. Jones Foundation scholarship and a National Merit scholar, Sung recognized that without the support of those programs, he would not have had the opportunity to attend McCombs. And that, he said, would have changed everything.

“Choosing to come to UT, to McCombs, and to the Canfield Business Honors Program is easily one of the most transformative decisions I’ve made in my life,” he said. “I would easily say the education I got here is second-to-none in the country.”

Today, the Sungs have three young children, and they are committed to giving back. During their remarks, the couple stressed that helping others is something driven by their faith and their desire to see students succeed, even though at the start, it was sometimes a financial sacrifice.

“We don’t give to get. We don’t give for notoriety. We don’t want publicity,” said Patricia Sung, who also attended Tulane University on scholarships. “We do, however, want to maximize impact, and if our story can influence just one of you to do more, then it means another endowment can potentially be set up to change lives for the rest of your lifetime and beyond.”

Karan Kanatala shared his own struggle with higher education, noting that his journey was far from smooth. Coming from a family with a rival alma mater, Kanatala recalled that at first, he wasn’t originally sold on the idea of attending McCombs or The University of Texas at Austin. After struggling through his first semester, he was reconsidering his commitment to the school. That all changed when he began forging deep relationships with mentors and upper-level McCombs classmates.

“From then on, I shared incredible moments with now lifelong friends, started excelling in class, and added another major,” he said.

After being introduced to the wealth management industry, he soon began working with a firm while earning his BBA. When he later began pursuing an MBA, the journey started out much differently than the first time around, and scholarship support has been a big part of that.

“Long story short, these scholarships have allowed my community in the MBA to blossom more fully than in undergrad,” he said. 

During lunch, students and donors were asked to fill out cards explaining why they think scholarship support is an important part of the student experience.

“Scholarships expand horizons,” read one. “Through bringing people together whose paths may not have otherwise crossed. Through expanding learning one person at a time. Through lifting people up, allowing them to achieve more.”

Another read, “I know all the alumni support will pay dividends to the U.S. and Texas economy as the McCombs students go out in the world.”

During the 2024–25 academic year, 1,500 McCombs scholarships provided support for 1,100 students. A total of $4.8 million was provided to BBA and Canfield Business Honors Program students, while $800,000 was provided to MPA students, and $6.9 million went to MBA students.

To learn more about scholarships and how you can contribute, contact Will Whiting, chief development officer, at CDO@mccombs.utexas.edu.