Ronald Stratton
Ron Stratton, ’75, worked his way through college to graduate in four years with no financial help from parents or student loans. It’s a feat that was admittedly easier in the 1970s, he says.
But the large amount of college student debt today — an average of $26,000 for UW-L students who graduated during the 2012-13 school year — is a problem that Stratton wants to help solve. However, that’s only if students are willing to do their part.
Stratton, who majored in accounting, set up a scholarship with the UW-L Foundation for junior and senior accounting majors who maintain employment during college. Stratton’s agreement is to match their wages up to half the cost of tuition and fees for up to four semesters.
“I could work through college in the 1970s and make it through, but I think it’s harder now,” says Stratton. “My goal is to help students focus on getting through college in a reasonable amount of time.”
Stratton also went on to earn a master’s degree at a larger public university. He chose to direct his giving to UW-L. It’s a place where he has fond memories of the close-knit atmosphere and strong teaching staff in the Accountancy Department.
“I have a firm belief that the upper division work I did at UW-L helped lay the groundwork for me to be successful in my career,” he says.
Stratton went on to earn his MBA, pass the CPA exam, and worked for a national accounting firm. He became director of taxes for Tonka Corporation and later developed tax software that was licensed to 100 major companies in the U.S. He continued on the entrepreneurial path by founding a financial services company, growing it and selling it. Today Stratton does some business consulting and organic farming. After enjoying a successful career, he felt it was time to give back.
The Ronald Stratton Scholarship Program Fund is specific in more ways than one. Stratton worked with the foundation to meet several goals. In addition to directing his dollars to students who work, his funds only go to upperclassmen accountancy majors. He has a firm belief that accounting is critical and foundational to succeed in business. He chose to give to juniors and seniors only because these students have a good understanding of how to go to college and have learned enough about themselves to know their career direction. “I wanted to work with people who have achieved their focus,” he says.
He anticipates that the students he supports will also one day be successful, too, and will adopt a similar giving philosophy. So his scholarship includes a request that students sign a non-binding statement to give back two semesters’ worth of tuition to the university within the next 20 years. Stratton says such an addendum allows the scholarship to possibly become self-supporting in the future.
Stratton recommends tailoring a scholarship to meet specific goals.
“I think it’s a mistake to throw your money out there and say ‘there, I’ve done something,’” he says. “You need a plan. For this scholarship I had specific goals that I wanted to achieve.”
The first two Ron Stratton Scholarship Program Fund scholarships were announced in spring 2014 for the 2014-15 academic year. Two new recipients will be named each year with the two prior recipients being renewed with the scholarship award.