Two new endowments to support the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will honor the legacy of Colton William Roberts, a former student in the school who was tragically killed by a driver under the influence days before the beginning of his junior year. Established by members of Colton’s family, the Colton William Roberts Scholarship for Geosciences and an endowed academic position in NSM will fund generations of students and faculty exploring a field that captured Colton’s passion during his lifetime.
According to his mother, Tanya Roberts, Colton was magical.
“He was endlessly curious,” Tanya said. “Colton maintained a kind of childlike wonder throughout his life that contributed to his joy and connection to nature.”
His father, Bill Roberts, loved his son’s ability to care for others.
“One of the things that really stood out to me about him from an early age was the way he loved and valued people,” Bill said. “He loved to connect with others deeply and genuinely. It was his talent. He was the kind of person who always spoke from the heart, the person who was sincerely interested in what others said and did.”
Growing up in Austin, Texas, Colton immersed himself in the awe of the lush trees and serene waters that define Central Texas.
“Every weekend we’d go out somewhere and talk about the varying rocks and plants, the environment, the trees and the animals,” Bill said. “He loved parks, like national parks, and their nature trails. His favorite was probably either Big Bend or Rocky Mountain.”
His mother, father and stepfather loved taking him to explore the geology and nature of sites around the country. Tanya and Michael Szkrybalo, Colton’s stepfather, whom Colton nicknamed “Pop,” would take him to mineral shows where he collected an extensive rock and mineral collection.
But one of Tanya’s favorite memories with her son was a mother-son trip they took his senior year to Big Bend National Park. Colton skipped a day of high school so they could go. During the trip, the two summited Emory Peak, and Colton’s love of the mountains was confirmed.
“We rode donkeys when we were there and crossed over at the Boquillas Crossing,” Tanya said. “His donkey would not listen to him and did whatever it wanted to do. And Colton was just cracking up the whole time. He wasn’t frustrated by the animal, rather he was delighted by it. His donkey had its own agenda and opinions, and Colton was content to just see how their day unfolded together.”
When Colton enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas, he initially thought he would pursue a degree in psychology and came in with an undeclared major. After taking one geology field course at UT Dallas, he knew he needed to follow his passion for geosciences. He declared his major and pursued a geosciences degree.
In August 2021, a few days before Colton would make the trip north to UT Dallas for the fall semester, he was able to spend time with people he loved. Sadly, he never made it back to Richardson.
He was hit and killed by an intoxicated driver.
Devastated, Tanya, Michael and Bill chose to honor Colton in ways they thought he would want to be remembered.
“I couldn’t see Colton’s education dollars being spent on anything but education,” Tanya said. “It was very important to me to be able to do something that let him have an impact in his field because he was ready to be a champion and advocate for the environment. When we help educate future geologists focusing on sustainability, Colton still contributes to conservation by helping and inspiring others.”
In December 2021, the paperwork for an endowed scholarship in NSM was finalized. The three parents wanted to expand the scholarship, so they increased the endowed scholarship fund to $60,000. Bill also documented a $1 million planned gift to the University that will endow a professorship within the school.
“He was my only child,” Bill said. “There wasn’t an issue of having an estate for other children. I wanted to honor the work that he didn’t get a chance to do. I wanted to try and see some of that happen.”
With combined efforts from Michael, Bill and Tanya, Colton’s fraternity, Chi Phi, other family members, donors and organizations on campus, the value of the scholarship endowment is now over $100,000.
Dr. David Hyndman, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Distinguished University Chair, shares Colton’s passion for geosciences.
“Colton will forever be remembered here in our school,” Hyndman said. “The impact that his legacy will have on our students will be transformative. This scholarship will inspire students to make a deeper connection to their work as they are not only accomplishing their goals, but also those of Colton. We thank the Roberts family for their generous donations.”
The Roberts family plans to continue fundraising efforts for the scholarship fund.
“I would love for the fund to become large enough that it can give more support,” Tanya said. “That’s a way to contribute to the things that Colton would have been working on himself. I think Colton would be excited for that.”
Bill and Tanya want to keep their son’s presence alive.
“When you lose a child, you don’t want them to be forgotten,” Bill said. “We want his name to continue since he won’t get a chance to grow up and have children of his own to do that. Donating has been a way to maintain his memory. It’s important to us that he isn’t lost.”
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