Engineer Paul Laslo ’79 Has Established a Scholarship That Will Be Fully Endowed by a Bequest in His Will

“Please note that by me setting up this scholarship, my family will live on through you. You see, I never married or had any children,” writes Paul A. Laslo ’79 in the message that will go to recipients of the Eastern Kentucky University scholarship that is beginning now and will be fully endowed through his will.

In addition to a recent gift and a bequest for The Paul A. Laslo Family Endowed Scholarship, Paul has named the scholarship as beneficiary of his 401(k) retirement fund, several annuities and a life insurance policy.

The renewable scholarship is for students with financial need who have a 2.5 GPA or higher and are majoring in a College of Business and Technology degree program, with first preference given to those earning an applied engineering and technology degree. Paul graduated with a bachelor of science degree in vocational-industrial and technical education and has worked as an engineer for the past 39 years in the Cleveland area.

Paul grew up outside Cleveland, the only child of Julius and Rose Laslo. He attended EKU because his cousin, James Bogo, had graduated from EKU with a degree in the same field that Paul wanted to enter. In addition to his studies, Paul learned to trap shoot at EKU and continued to compete after graduation. For the last several years he has returned for homecoming, where he helps pass out ice cream.

Paul went back to Ohio after earning his degree and worked for the same manufacturing company as his father for many years. He also chose to live with his parents, which allowed him to “start saving early.”

“I was able to use what I learned at Eastern Kentucky to save enough money to fund this scholarship,” Paul said. “Now I want to help students pay for school.” Then he added this advice for EKU students: “Study hard, do well and remember to have fun.”