Randall Luthi believes that every student should have the opportunity to get a good
education at an affordable price. He created two scholarship endowments to make that
opportunity a reality for Lincoln County students. His family is establishing an undergraduate
general scholarship and a scholarship for the UW law school. In addition, he is funding
a Challenge Fund for use by the Athletic Department.
“We need to educate our workforce, and they need to be educated at a price that they can afford,” says Randall. “Once they get out of school, they should not have to spend the next the next 20 years paying off that education. If a modest scholarship can help, we’re glad to do it.”
This year’s recipient from Lincoln County is Logan Reid Christensen, a sophomore majoring in secondary education/math with a minor in Spanish. He graduated from Star Valley High School in Afton.
Randall graduated from UW with a bachelor’s in administration of justice in 1979, then he earned a law degree in 1982. His education at UW served him well in his life and his career, and he wants to be able to give that same experience to other Lincoln County students.
“The University of Wyoming is not for everyone, but it has educated at least two generations of members of the Luthi family from Lincoln County,” explains Randall. “We have a relatively long history and certainly a fruitful history at the University of Wyoming, and we’ve all been pleased with the education and the experience that we received.”
He and his family decided to fund three different opportunities at UW so they could help a greater amount of students. It took him over 2 years to decide on a major, so he created the general scholarship fund to give students a chance to figure out what they want to major in but not build up debt in the process.
The scholarship for the College of Law was created because, as Luthi says, “We can always use more good attorneys,” and he believes that they can get a great education at UW. Law school isn’t always a joyful experience, but maybe this scholarship will help.
Randall has always been a huge Cowboy and Cowgirl fan, and he makes it to Laramie to watch games as often as he can. He wants student-athletes to be able to do their best in sports and in the classroom, so he created a scholarship to help student-athletes be successful in both.
“A university’s athletic program is often many people’s introduction to the university,” says Randall. “While providing a good education is the primary goal, many judge a university based on its athletic success. It is vital that UW improve and maintain its athletic teams.
Randall grew up on his family’s farm in Freedom and understands many of the challenges facing students who want to attend the University of Wyoming. There are several universities that are closer than UW for students who live there, but he feels that they don’t get the same education for the same value. He wants to encourage more Lincoln County students to go to UW, and he hopes these scholarships will accomplish that.
One of the aspects that he believes makes UW a great value—aside from the reasonable tuition cost—is the close-knit and small community feel of campus. Because UW is a smaller university, students have the opportunity to be close with their fellow classmates and get one-on-one time with their professors. The atmosphere on campus is also friendly and community oriented—much like that of the entire state of Wyoming.
“Access is not going to be a problem at the University of Wyoming,” says Randall. “Students are going to have access to a lot of different programs, equipment, and research facilities. UW offers a real bargain for a quality education.”
The scholarships he created also qualify for state match, so every dollar he and his family donates is doubled. This helps him make an even greater impact on students and furthers the ability for them to receive a great education.
Many of UW’s key gifts are doubled through the state’s matching program. This program, unique to the State of Wyoming, began in March 2001 with the mission of providing additional support to the University of Wyoming by encouraging private donations. Under this program, endowment gifts of at least $50,000 and facilities gifts of at least $25,000 are matched dollar for dollar.
“The Legislature of Wyoming is committed to its citizens and its students and the University of Wyoming, which is why we passed the state match in the first place,” says Randall.
Randall is a rancher and attorney from Freedom, Wyoming. He is a former speaker of the Wyoming State House of Representatives, and he served as the Director of the Minerals Management Service at the Department of the Interior from July 2007 through January 2009. Before that, he was the deputy director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a state legislator, he served on the Judiciary Committee, Management Audit Committee, and Management Council.
He served as an intern for Congressman Dick Cheney, and he was a legislative assistant to Senator Al Simpson. On March 1, 2010, he became the president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which is the position he still holds today.
Randall is grateful for the education he received at UW. It has served him well in life, and he wants to give others the same opportunities. With the scholarships he created, he will make an impact on Lincoln County students’ lives and give them opportunities to become critical thinkers and leaders.
