Hoosier Lottery Beneficiary, Teachers’ Retirement Fund

When Ron was in college at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, he found himself at a crossroads: Use his social studies degree to go to law school, or use it to become a teacher and a coach. His love for teaching life lessons both on and off the court won, and Ron became a teacher.

He taught in public schools across Indiana for 38 years, teaching subjects like government, economics, sociology, psychology, U.S. history and world history. After considering a move to administration, he decided to become a guidance counselor for the last 13 years of his career. “I just felt like I could make more of a contribution and leave a bigger impact on the kids in guidance,” he said.

And through it all, he was a coach. “I coached basketball for 38 years and also cross country, track and golf at different points of my career,” Ron said.

Ron appreciates the bonds he was able to make with his students, especially those he coached. “It’s just amazing when someone comes back and tells me I made a difference in their lives, or I helped them out or encouraged them to follow their dreams,” he said.

Now that he’s retired, Ron finds many ways to connect with his community and students. He is a hearing officer, which means a school district calls him when a student is about to be expelled. Ron works with the administration to decide how to handle the situation and help the student find an alternative school or credit recovery. "I'll never do it if I have to throw a kid out for making a mistake,” he said. “Because we’ve all made mistakes. They deserve a fair chance."

Ron also stays busy as the president of his condo association and a member of the county zoning appeals board. He is also the assistant basketball coach at Wabash College and enjoys giving private basketball lessons as well.

Ron is thankful that both he and his wife were able to retire at 60, when they were still healthy and able to travel and hang out with their grandkids. “Teacher retirement has been a blessing for both of us,” he said. “Our lifestyle and things we do would not have been possible without the pension.”

And when it comes to Indiana, Ron couldn’t be happier living here. “I've been to Florida, Arizona, the Grand Canyon, San Diego, Hawaii and Europe, but nothing’s like Indiana,” he said. “I guess I’m a Hoosier through and through.”

The Hoosier Lottery would like to give a big “thank you” to Ron and all the other teachers who make a huge difference in the lives of so many, each and every day.