Bill Rauch '80

Alumnus Bill Rauch is proud of his Grand Valley State University education. So much so, that he and his wife, Jane, created the Rauch Family Leadership Endowed Scholarship for Portage Schools.

“My experience at Grand Valley was really special, especially in the chemistry department,” Bill said. “The friends I made with the professors, it was a really personable experience.”

The Rauch family is dedicated to Grand Valley, athletics, and Portage Public Schools. They are firm believers that students who have begun to develop leadership skills through athletics in high school. As a way to tie their passions together, the Rauch family initiated their scholarship to benefit student athletes from Portage Public Schools who choose to go to Grand Valley.

They chose Grand Valley in particular because of Bill’s experience as a student and because of their confidence in the university. “I think the most important thing when I look for investing in something like this is accountability,” he said. “I think they are very accountable with tax payer money and that’s real important to me.”

Because the scholarship is endowed, it will continue to benefit students far into the future. “Grand Valley is huge for this area, no question about it,” Bill said. “If I can be a little part of that, that’s great.”