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Illustrations by Dan Williams

Maria and Paul Weizer have the ultimate conversation-stopper of a “how we met” story. Back in their student days at UT, Maria ’96 was a freshman attending her first ROTC Leadership Lab in her heavy camo training garb. On a blazingly hot Florida day, she passed out, and — wait for it — her squad leader Paul ’94, MBA ‘11, then a junior, was the person to attend to her and get help.

They grew close over the coming years, fell hard for each other, and tied the knot in 1994 before Paul attended the U.S. Army flight school. A ceremony at UT’s Sticks of Fire in Plant Park sealed the deal for this Spartan-spun love story.

Meeting one’s spouse is a hard act to follow in terms of how a college can impact one’s life. But Maria and Paul — who are based in Tampa and have two 20-something children — say they owe still more to UT, which is why they are regular donors to the school and participants in alumni life, with Maria serving as both a member of the Alumni Association Board and the Alumni Campaign Steering Committee. “I like getting personally involved and building those connections between graduates and the school,” she says.

THE GIFT OF A UT EDUCATION

The couple donates to UT in appreciation of how Spartan life launched them toward future success. “I got so much out of my time at UT. The small scale of the school and how much it invests in each student is a huge gift, and one that has been maintained as the University grows,” says Maria.

One of her fondest memories of her time on campus: the club fairs in which organizations would take their spots on the verandah to chat up students.

“It was so easy to get involved,” she says. “UT finds ways to give students leadership and community-service experience, which are so important to their future.” Serving as an RA and working in the facilities department, helping to produce weddings and more on campus, were some of the ways she dove in and built her skills and confidence.

Beyond that, UT gave another gift to the Weizers: When Paul and Maria were both ROTC students, the program paid 80% of tuition, plus stipends. The University picked up the remaining 20%, plus room and board. That means the couple graduated debt-free and were both commissioned into the Army right away, so they were employed, she in the Medical Service Corps and he in the Aviation branch.

Paul, who recently retired as a Colonel after 30-plus years of active Army duty, says it’s a challenge to put into words just how deep his gratitude runs for this gift. “To be able to graduate college without loans to be repaid has certainly made a huge difference in our lives,” he says. “We could buy a home right after college, for instance.”

After several years passed, the Weizers found they were in a position to start giving a bit of money back to UT. “As soon as we could give a couple of hundred dollars, we did,” says Paul, “because if it weren’t for UT, we wouldn’t have gotten where we are today.”

SEEING SPARTAN LIFE SOAR

The Weizers had a second go-round with Spartan student life. When Paul returned to UT to earn an MBA in 2011, he and Maria were wowed by the changes they saw on campus. Where he was studying, the Sykes College of Business, was just one stellar example of how departments were always being reimagined and elevated as campus hubs with the latest thinking and technology.

“We upped our giving when we saw how the University puts its money where its mouth is, really dedicating donations to enrich student experience and not just build the endowment,” says Maria. She was struck in particular by the small class sizes and impressive achievements of the professors.

UPLIFTING THE NEXT GENERATION

Now, the couple is pivoting to a new phase, with Paul retired and Maria taking a break from her previous role as a lab technician at a local community college. They embarked on a grand tour of the American West in a camper trailer this fall, where they reveled in the stunning landscapes of national parks. “We’re big believers in making time to do something beyond the usual; something with lasting value,” says Paul. “That’s what this trip was all about.”

Back in Tampa, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them spending more time at UT as they put this personal philosophy into practice. “I’ve always felt that I do what I can with what I have, wherever I am,” says Maria, and that includes giving back to UT. With approximately 60% of current alumni under age 40, the Weizers want to send this message: whatever stage of life you’re at, find a way to give.

Perhaps it’s some money, or maybe — if a person is just starting out — it’s donating time to volunteer, to engage and to mentor students. “If you can’t afford to give now, maybe you can network and help a recent grad find a job,” says Maria. “There are ways all of us can get involved.”