Giving Early, Often

Alan Wong and his wife Leslie did not want to wait until their golden years to get serious about charitable giving – they wanted to make a difference immediately.

Wong, who received a bachelor’s and master’s in geophysics from the University of Houston in 1991 and 1994, respectively, understands the importance of opening doors for today’s NSM students. He got through UH thanks in part to a couple of scholarships.

"My wife and I believe very strongly that anybody who is qualified should have the opportunity to go to college," Wong said.

Now a sales manager for Petroleum Geo-Services and a loyal annual donor to NSM, he emphasizes that giving back is not just the responsibility of gray-haired alumni at the pinnacle of their careers. Younger professionals still on the way up should start looking at making early and regular gifts to UH a part of their charitable giving, Wong said.

Now a sales manager for Petroleum Geo-Services, Wong credits his studies at UH with preparing him to make an impact at his job from day one. UH’s geoscience graduates are well-regarded in Houston’s energy business community, Wong said, and are especially valuable to oil companies looking for employees who can hit the ground running.