Retired Teachers Remain Dedicated to Texas Education
Alejandro and Gloria Estrada
Alejandro and Gloria Estrada may have retired from teaching, but they remain fully committed to helping Texas students access education. The Estradas, from Mercedes, Texas, recently established a planned gift at Texas A&M University-Commerce that will ultimately fund undergraduate scholarships. They chose a charitable gift annuity, which is part investment and part gift. It provides life income to the Estradas now, and what’s left after their lifetime will help support A&M-Commerce as they directed.
As lifelong educators, the Estradas highly value education. Their goal is to remove financial obstacles to make college more accessible. “We want to help students so they don’t have to rely on student loans,” Alejandro said.
The Estradas are both first-generation college students. Alejandro earned a Bachelor of Arts from Pan American College and a Master of Education from East Texas State University (now A&M-Commerce). Gloria received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education from Pan American University.
Married since 1972, the couple lived and taught in the Rio Grande Valley. Alejandro spent most of his time at Mercedes ISD, where he taught fifth grade and junior high English. He also coached varsity basketball and served as an elementary school principal. Gloria taught mathematics in junior high and high school at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD and Weslaco ISD.
“We enjoyed working with children and creating a rapport with our students,” Gloria reflected. “We are glad to have helped students love learning and achieve their goals,” Alejandro added. The Estradas hope their support will inspire the future scholarship recipients to pay it forward as they have done.
To learn how you can create your own legacy at A&M-Commerce, please contact Office of Philanthropy and Engagement at giving@tamuc.edu or 903-468-8681.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.