FROG FOR LIFE

Gage Gardiner ’25

Singer-Songwriter

Gage Gardiner is a young country music artist who is quickly rising in the ever growing Texas Country Music scene as well as a TCU Alumni (May 2025). Gage played his first shows less than a mile from campus and is incredibly proud to say that Fort Worth and TCU gave him his start. From playing shows from Las Vegas to Nashville to Dickies Arena he can’t wait to bring his bands country-blues sound back to the place and people who started it all

Emily (Emy) Hauser Waits ’01

Executive Area Business Manager | Sanofi

Named Miss TCU in 2000 while representing Delta Gamma, Emily (Emy) Hauser Waits was an active leader on the TCU campus, serving in a variety of leadership roles and proudly representing the university throughout her four years. She graduated magna cum laude from TCU in May 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Coordinated Dietetics and was honored that same year as the Texas Outstanding Dietetics Student by the Texas Dietetics Association.

Following graduation, Emily began a career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, where she has continued to grow as a leader for more than two decades. She currently serves as an Executive Area Business Manager for Sanofi in its Immunology/Dermatology division. She has been recognized throughout her career with numerous Inner Circle and President's Awards. Emily was also honored as the first recipient of Sanofi's prestigious Global Best of the Best Award, recognizing excellence among the company's top performers.

Today, Emily is proud to call Fort Worth home. She lives with her husband, J. Brandon Waits '99, also a TCU alumnus, and their two children. While her professional career has taken her far beyond the TCU campus, some of her greatest joys remain close to home—attending church with her family, volunteering at her children's school, cheering them on from the sidelines as they play sports, and attending TCU sporting events as a family.

Returning to TCU as a former Miss TCU is a special opportunity to celebrate the people, experiences, and traditions that made her college years so meaningful. More than 25 years after first wearing the crown, she is grateful to return to the place she will always proudly call home. Go Frogs!

Troy Kunkel ’01

Founder & CEO | M25 Developments

Troy Kunkel is the Founder and CEO of M25 Developments, a Fort Worth-based real estate investment and development company focused on finding value in complex and often overlooked opportunities. A graduate of TCU and former Horned Frog football player, Troy entered the real estate business immediately after college and built his early portfolio through residential and student housing investments.

Over the years, he has grown M25 Developments by combining an entrepreneurial mindset with a willingness to take calculated risks, solve difficult problems, and build strong relationships. His approach to business is rooted in communication, integrity, accountability, and a belief that the best opportunities are often the ones others don't immediately see.

Outside of real estate, Troy is passionate about faith, family, mentorship, and serving his community. He serves on the board of the Fort Worth Pregnancy Center and volunteers with the college ministry at Christ Chapel Bible Church, where he enjoys investing in and mentoring the next generation.

Troy and his wife, Laura, have been married for 24 years and have four children. Whether developing a property, mentoring a young adult, or spending time with his family, Troy strives to use the opportunities and relationships God has given him to make an eternal impact.