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Columbus Education Foundation (CEF) received an outstanding gift from the Hancher Family: $25,000 to enhance educational opportunities for Columbus Independent School District (CISD) students. The donation will make more scholarships available for both college, trade and technical schools.
Dr. Thomas B. Hancher is patriarch of the “Hancher Family.” He has a special place in his heart for young people and a desire to equip them for a better life as a productive member of society. As a CHS grad and a long-time resident, he resonates with action to make Columbus a stronger community.
Prior to his retirement, his specialty was internal medicine and geriatrics as well as serving as mayor of Columbus. Today, he continues to serve on the Columbus Community Hospital Board and serves as president of the Columbus Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation.
He is one of the founders of this non-profit corporation formed in late 2021. CEF was founded to build a stronger community by enriching educational benefits for CISD students.
Hancher and his extended family collaborated to make this donation possible. It is particularly appropriate since these families continue to emphasize education to improve lives in our community. Dr. Hancher’s family tree branches with his three children: Heather, Shannon, and Blake along with their spouses and seven children. His children have a unique story about their career pathway which offers some insight to others planning a career.
Blake Hancher lives in Georgetown, TX. He described himself as “tech minded — and the only one in my family!” After graduation from CHS, he did not want to waste any time to get to work immediately in his chosen tech field. The idea of spending four years in college didn’t appeal to him.
Blake shared, “I wanted to be involved in tech and get to work as quickly as possible. But, I also didn’t want to miss the experience of attending college. I knew a twoyear associate’s degree would give me a competitive advantage in the workforce. That’s why I chose TSTC (Texas State Technical College) in Waco for Computer Network Systems Administration (Network Admin).”
“I ended up with additional studies in Network Security. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing. Having the TSTC experience was a great one for me.”
He recommends that students and parents explore online to see the multitude of tech and trade school options available.
Dr. Hancher’s daughter Heather Thomas said, “My dad encouraged both college as well as trade school after graduation, whichever best suited his children. Growing up with parents in the medical field, it seemed like a natural path to enter the medical field when I was eighteen. But my mom, Christine, gently nudged me to try something new.”
“I graduated from the Mays School of business at Texas A&M. Following college I worked for Neiman Marcus in Dallas as an assistant buyer,” Heather said, “It took only a short time for me to realize that working behind a desk analyzing spread sheets 89% of my day was not what I wanted. I decided to transition to education which led to my teaching first grade.”
“After we started our family, I was able to help care for my mom after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer,” Heather said further, “My next step became clear to me as I spent a lot of time in the hospital with her witnessing the exceptional care she received. My mom, unknowingly, helped me make the next step in my career. I’d never felt so sure of anything. Because I already had my bachelors, I applied to a “second degree” nursing program at UHV. With the help of my amazing husband and my rock-star in-laws, I was able to become a nurse. Now I absolutely love my work at Columbus Community Hospital! I also get to utilize the skills I learned in both business and education each day.”
Heather has deep empathy for grads desperately trying to make the “right” career decision. She shared her intense interest in seeing further development of the high school Career and Technical Education program where specific skills are taught to students before graduation.
“It exposes high school students to careers such as nursing, cosmetology, construction, law enforcement, pharmacy, cyber security, etc., before graduation,” Heather said, “It’s daunting to make such important life decisions at this young age.”
Another “Dr. Hancher” appears in the family story, as in “Dr. Shannon Hancher” of Bellaire, Tx.
“I can’t remember a time that I didn’t want to be a physician,” Shannon said, “My dad was a role model for me. Spending time at the hospital with him was the neatest thing ever!”
After twelve years of study including college at UT, medical school and residency, she reached her goal of becoming a physician. As a practicing anesthesiologist at M.D. Anderson, she is delighted with her career decision.
“Education has always been important to our entire family,” Shannon said, “I feel like education creates hope for a better future. I am so happy we can sponsor this donation as a family.”
All of Dr. Thomas Hancher’s children used different pathways to arrive at their chosen careers. CEF applauds their donation to generate scholarships to benefit others.
Son-in-law Ryan Thomas put forth a challenge: “I hope this is the beginning of many more family donations for CEF,” Thomas said.
As a 501(c)(3) corporation, all contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Help CEF advance their mission of enriched educational opportunities for young people. If you would like to learn more about naming a scholarship in your family’s name or in memory of a loved one, contact CEF at their website: www.ColumbusEducationFoundation. org or call 979733-2122 for more information.
