Building Confidence

RONALD SCHWARTZ, , 70

An education at Park University was a lifechanging opportunity for Ronald Schwartz. Now Schwartz has established a scholarship that gives a new generation of students the same opportunity.

As an actuary specializing in valuations of pension fund benefits, Schwartz made his career calculating present values of future benefit streams. His success began with a mathematics degree at Park.

“If you’d asked any of my high school teachers if I would ever excel at anything academically, bar none they would have said no,” Schwartz said. Schwartz’s high school education in Gettysburg, Pa., included a single secondary-level math class, algebra. Enlisting in the U.S. Navy with no plans for higher education, Schwartz discovered an aptitude for math at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center’s electronics technician school.

“I passed all 19 two-week segments covering electronics and basic circuitry without a failure,” Schwartz said. “I was surprised and relieved.”

Schwartz set his sights on attending college after completing his military service. Admission was a longshot with his high school record, but he knew he could complete a degree if given a chance. Park gave him that chance and changed the course of his life. A professor introduced Schwartz to the actuarial field. A freshman study group introduced him to his future wife, math and chemistry major Michelle Minyard, ’70. The two were married in 1970 at McCoy Meetin’ House on the Parkville Campus. Dr. Robert Bailey, a history professor, officiated the wedding. The couple went on to receive graduate degrees at Ohio State University.

Michelle and Ronald Schwartz

“She was one of my lucky breaks,” Schwartz said of Michelle. “I must be the luckiest guy on the earth.”

He established the Michelle “Minyard” Schwartz and Ronald K. Schwartz Scholarship to honor Michelle, who passed away in 2016. The scholarship fund is valued at $600,000 and is one of the largest individually endowed scholarships in the history of Park University. It will provide tuition support to junior and senior students majoring in math, chemistry or physics. Students who have successfully completed an actuarial exam are also eligible for the scholarship.

“Park was a huge transformation in my life. I needed to pay Park back in a huge way,” Schwartz said. “I would encourage anyone who feels the way I feel about Park to make whatever contribution they can.”

Are you interested in establishing an endowed scholarship? Your donation of $25,000 or more can create endowed educational opportunities for students at Park University for generations to come. Contact Nathan Marticke, chief advancement officer, at nathan.marticke@park.edu for more information.