For AddRan Board of Visitors member Jim Sexton, serving on the board gives him the opportunity to give back to the school that made a profound impact on his daughter.

“When my daughter Aubrey lost her mom at 13 years old, she really struggled for a bit. When she went to TCU, the school changed my daughter's life,” Sexton said. “She met lifelong buddies, and she developed confidence. She developed a sense of purpose, and she decided the career direction she wanted to go. The school was a flagship turning point of her life.”
 
A graduate of St. John’s University, a small, Benedictine college in Minnesota, Jim Sexton was first introduced to TCU through his daughter. After applying to different schools, TCU was Aubrey’s first choice, and the Sextons were honored for their daughter to be accepted to TCU. When the letter arrived, it was a heartfelt moment for the family. 
 
“One day, here comes the purple packet in the mail, and I broke down in the driveway,” Sexton recalled.
 
After serving on the Board of Regents for 18 years at his alma mater, Sexton volunteered to serve on the AddRan Board of Visitors with Dean Sonja Watson.
 
“When my term ran out at St. Johns, and I had gotten to know Dean Watson,” he said. “I volunteered. I said, ‘If there's ever an opportunity that you need some board work, I'd be happy to see if I can help you.’ So, I got elected, and that's how I got started.” 
 
He’s now served for about four years. For Sexton, his favorite part of serving on the board is helping students in the AddRan College whenever he can.
 
“One of my favorite parts of being on the board is the mentor/mentee program that Dean Watson started about a year ago. I’ve got a mentee who is a wonderful student. We’ve been meeting once a month virtually for about a year. She wants to get into law, and we’ve had zooms with attorney friends of mine…I’m trying to encourage these kids to use that TCU network. It’s huge.”
 
Sexton said his service on the board gives him the chance to give back to a school that has had such an impact on his family.
 
“I feel honored to have been asked to join the board because the school made such a difference in my daughter's life,” he said. “It’s very valuable to me to continue to work making private college education affordable to the best of our ability. When you can, as a family, make an investment in your children to go to a school like TCU, it’s just different.”