Turning Matching Opportunities Into Lasting Change

For Zoe Thompson McDaniel ’93, P’25, P’28, giving back to Trinity has always been about more than gratitude—it’s about making every opportunity go further. Inspired by her own experience and the legacy of generosity that shaped her life, Thompson McDaniel has remained deeply engaged with the University as a member of the Board of Visitors and the Campaign Executive Committee. Through her volunteer leadership and philanthropy, she continues to inspire others to take part in Trinity’s mission and its momentum.

Thompson McDaniel’s Trinity journey began with opportunity. Her grandmother, Francis Kleine Romanick, was a first-generation college student and saved relentlessly to ensure Zoe could graduate from Trinity debt-free—a life-changing gift that instilled in her both gratitude and purpose. To honor that legacy, Zoe and her husband, Mack, established The Francis Kleine Romanick Scholarship in 2022, celebrating her grandmother’s belief in education and its power to transform lives. Through the Walls Challenge, which matched first-generation scholarships of $50,000 dollar-for-dollar thanks to the generosity of Trustee Emeritus Lissa Walls ’80, Thompson McDaniel was able to double the impact of her fund and expand its reach.

And when the Walls Challenge successfully reached its $2 million goal, Thompson McDaniel continued looking for ways to maximize the difference she could make. 

Earlier this year, Zoe and Mack created the Thompson McDaniel Family Endowed Scholarship through the Trinity Commitment, a bold $25 million pledge from the University’s Board of Trustees to match new scholarship endowments. Designed to remove financial barriers and expand access to a Trinity education, the Trinity Commitment offered Thompson McDaniel another opportunity to amplify her philanthropy. Her newest scholarship supports graduates of Houston ISD (where three of her children, including two Trinity Tigers, matriculated) with financial need, creating new and meaningful pathways to a Trinity education for students from her hometown community.

By taking advantage of Trinity’s matching opportunities, Thompson McDaniel has transformed her generosity into lasting change—honoring her past, empowering her community, and ensuring that generations of Trinity students will have the chance to thrive.