2020-21: Tiffany Page Carter

Tiffany Page Carter has been selected as the 2020-21 TI Founders Leadership Fellow. A UT Dallas Terry Scholar, Collegium V Honors Senior, and member of Phi Kappa Phi, Tiffany is a first-generation student pursuing her undergraduate degree in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, with a focus in Critical Media Studies. Most recently Tiffany presented her research on the media representation of persons with severe autism at the Communicating Diversity conference at Texas A&M University. She has also served as the transfer enrichment coordinator within the UT Dallas Terry Scholars Student Organization and worked as the communications and alumni engagement Intern for the Terry Foundation.

In the pursuit of giving back to parents of children with autism, like herself, Tiffany founded a Texas Disability support group and volunteers as a parent mentor with The Autism Community in Action (TACA). As the 2020-21 TI Founders Leadership Fellow, Tiffany is excited to learn from the development and alumni relations team, while utilizing her love of giving back, storytelling and sharing the life-changing importance of philanthropy in higher education.

2019-20: Jessica M. Howell BA’19

Jessica M. Howell BA’19, was selected as the 2019-20 Texas Instruments Founders Leadership Fellow. Jessica is a U.S. Navy veteran who served two deployments on board the USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After honorably completing four years of service, Jessica moved to Dallas and earned her Associate of Arts degree from Richland College while working for a private oil company. Realizing how much she missed serving others, Jessica applied and was accepted at UT Dallas, choosing to major in economics, policy and politics, in order to learn and understand how to be an effective community leader.

While earning her degree, Jessica focused on building her nonprofit education and experiences to the fullest extent possible. Jessica was a regular volunteer for organizations like the Down Syndrome Convention, Girls Inc. Dallas and Equest. She also worked at the UT Dallas Military and Veteran Center, participating in panels on campus to help alleviate misunderstandings and misconceptions of veterans. Jessica later volunteered to serve as a UT Dallas Peer Advisor for Veteran Education (PAVE) team leader and advisor, where she assisted student veterans with the transition from military life to academia.

“I always knew I wanted to help people but lacked the skills and direction to make that happen in a real and impactful way. The relationships that I have built and the practical skills that I have gained from the TI Founders Leadership Fellowship have allowed me to contribute in a way that I feel called to do! The well thought out curriculum offers the perfect tempo of rigor without feeling overwhelmed.”

– Jessica M. Howell BA’19

Jessica graduated cum laude from UT Dallas in December 2019, earning her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies. She is currently pursuing her master’s of public affairs at UT Dallas. After her fellowship, Jessica accepted a position with U.S. Rep. Colin Allred as the constituent advocate in the 32nd district, where she is now serving the Dallas community through district outreach and federal casework. Following her time with Mr. Allred’s office, Jessica has been selected to become a corp member in Teach for America, beginning in 2021, where she will be a teacher-leader in an underserved school district in the Dallas region. Jessica credits the experiences she gained at UT Dallas and during her fellowship for giving her confidence and the qualifications to effectively serve her community.

2018-19: Archie Nettles BS’11, MPA’18

Archie Nettles BS’11 MPA’18, was selected as the inaugural 2018-19 TI Founders Leadership Fellow. Originally from Beaumont, Texas, Archie Nettles served eight years in the U.S. Army on active duty and in the reserves, including one tour in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. After his military career, Archie transitioned to civilian life and pursued his undergraduate degree at UT Dallas in public affairs from the School of Economics, Political and Policy Sciences, graduating in 2011.

His commitment to service and to using his leadership abilities for the good of others continued within UT Dallas, where Archie worked for four years as an admission and enrollment counselor and veteran liaison at the Military and Veteran Center. He later accepted an internship with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and pursued and was offered the first-ever TI Founders Leadership Fellowship.

“I am grateful for the wonderful leadership team and all my colleagues in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, who were supportive in my development as a fellow and a future nonprofit leader. Finally, I am grateful to TI Foundation for creating an enriching, immersive and impactful program that supports and honors the vision of Mrs. Margaret McDermott to develop a strong pipeline of nonprofit professionals.”

– Archie Nettles BS’11, MPA’18

During the same year as his fellowship, Archie earned his master’s in public affairs at UT Dallas and also was accepted into the prestigious George W. Bush Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Institute. One of 43 selected scholars from across the United States, Archie collaborated with other active-duty, veterans and civilians to improving transitions and outcomes for post-9/11 veterans and their families.

After completing his fellowship, Archie accepted a position on the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s major gifts team as assistant director of development, where he is now focusing on expanding fundraising capacity for the Jindal Young Scholars initiative, a University program that helps underrepresented Dallas Independent School District high school students prepare for and attend college. This dynamic role has given him the opportunity to leverage the training, tools, techniques and experiences he gained from the fellowship.