Lone Star College System campuses bring great value to the residents of their surrounding communities, even if they never enroll in classes.

Residents of The Heritage at Towne Lake, a 55+ community neighboring LSC-CyFair, understand this well as they visit the public library, attend fine arts performances and participate in the Academy for Lifelong Learning on campus.

In 2010, Heritage resident Joe Incognito organized a scholarship committee dedicated to making higher education more accessible for LSC-CyFair students. The group had strong support and the first donation from Fred Caldwell, a former LSC Foundation board member who also spearheaded the development of Towne Lake as president and CEO of Caldwell Companies.

“Heritage at Towne Lake has been an incredible partner,” said Brandon Richardson, LSC Foundation senior advancement manager. “Their meaningful contributions are changing lives year after year.”

In 2019, the committee expanded with an endowment to provide financial support for even more students.

“Our decision to establish this endowment was driven by a shared belief that every student deserves access to opportunities that help them succeed,” Incognito said. “Higher education can be life-changing, and we recognize the important role financial support plays in helping students stay focused on their educational journey. We are honored to support Lone Star College Foundation and its mission of empowering students to reach their full potential.”

Each year, Heritage residents host a meet-and-greet breakfast for scholarship recipients and their families.

“They tell us what it means to them and how it’s changed their lives,” Incognito said. “You can donate money to a cause and never see anything happen, or you can bring the results in and listen to what these individuals are saying about what those donations have done for them.”

Since the majority of LSCS students stay local after graduating, Heritage residents see a direct return on their investment.

“Having trained people in the community coming from Lone Star College System has really done a lot for northwest Houston,” said Susan Chapman, who has served as the Heritage scholarship committee chair since the beginning.

Hear from students impacted by the work of LSC Foundation and its generous donors at LoneStar.edu/Giving/Testimonials.