Honoring Hong

Hong Rost

A person who impacted people from around the world when they came to UW-L is being recognized with a scholarship named in her honor.

Hong Rost, ’94, was assistant director of UW-L International Education from 1995–2010. She became director of UW-Stout’s International Education program in 2010, where she served until she died in a tragic auto accident June 19, 2014.

Her husband, Francis “Rusty” Rost, says Hong inspired hundreds of students when they came to La Crosse. “In big and small ways, she helped every international student during that time frame achieve their educational objectives,” notes Rost.

The Hong Rost International Scholarship Fund will be awarded to undergraduate or graduate international students enrolled full time at UW-L. “This fund will serve as a vehicle to connect international alumni and UW-L,” says Rusty Rost. “Hong touched many lives because she was a people person, and wonderfully giving and loving.”

Hong Rost took the success she helped create in UW-L’s program to UW-Stout when she became director there. In four years, she doubled the number of international students.

That’s why Rusty has also established a scholarship at Stout. He says they are much more than scholarships. Foundations at both plan to share Hong’s story as an example to inspire and challenge students, he says. Also donors can become “founders” to oversee the awards, along with strengthening relations between international alumni and the campus.

Memorials to the Hong Rost Memorial Scholarship Fund may be sent to the UW-L Foundation, 615 East Ave. N., La Crosse WI 54601.