Student Senate Opportunity Fund

Two former UW-Eau Claire Student Senate presidents made gifts to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation to support a new Student Senate Opportunity Fund.
Randy Newton, who was Student Senate president from 1984-85, and Randy Paulson, who was president from 1983-84, were both eager to support the fund, which will provide money for activities, including leadership
development, not covered in the Senate’s regular budget.

“Serving as president of the student body was the single most interesting and rewarding experience I had in college, and I very much hope the Student Senate Opportunity Fund will enhance training and learning for many student leaders in the years ahead,” said Paulson, who is an assistant state public defender in Milwaukee.Extracurricular activities are important to personal and
professional development, Newton said.

“Involvement in Student Senate helped me develop in a balanced manner, adding interpersonal and public speaking skills to an excellent academic experience,” Newton said. “Interaction with others while in student government allowed me to develop emotional intelligence skills that I employ every day on the job.”

Newton’s gift was matched by Honeywell, where he is vice president of finance and director of America’s Center of Technical Accounting. This fund gives the Student Senate the means to further develop its effectiveness within the university, said Timothy Lauer, the current student body president.

“The activities the fund contributes to will certainly have a positive impact on the spirit of the Student Senate,” Lauer said. “Without the generous support of alumni like these, student organizations and the Student Senate would have a difficult time organizing events, growing future leaders and improving the campus climate.”