Andrew Henley

2013 Stelos Fellow

When I first encountered Stelos, I truly had no idea the impact it would have on my life. I was a first-generation college student who just transferred to Texas State University when I was asked to take part in the Housley Principled Leadership Program. The program not only taught me what it meant to live a life of meaning, but it instilled many sound principles and lessons that have shaped my career. Beyond that, it also introduced me to lifelong friends and mentors.

But, my journey with Stelos did not end after the seven-week Housley program. I was fortunate that I was later selected to receive the Thomas Raffen Memorial Scholarship, which helped cover the costs of my education.

I closed out the “Stelos Trifecta” by finally serving as a Stelos Fellow during my senior year at Texas State. It further prepared me by giving me crucial real world experience working for a mission-driven organization. It was my professional introduction to working in a development role and helping raise crucial dollars to support the organization.

After graduating and completing my time as a Fellow, I began a career working for other mission-driven organizations, helping tell their stories impact, and creating comprehensive fundraising strategies for those organizations. It has been a decade since being introduced to Stelos and one thing has remained true: I will always be grateful to Stelos for investing in me and helping me reach my full potential.