Ronald M. Simon

Founding Chairman, Simon
Foundation for Education and Housing

I have always deeply appreciated the opportunities afforded to me by living in America. Having been born to immigrant parents, I came from meager beginnings. After many years of hard work, I have been privileged to enjoy significant business success through determination and the opportunity to achieve my dreams that this great country allows. It is now my passion to help other deserving, hard working individuals realize their opportunities for success.

My foundation was established in 2003 with the mission of enabling deserving American students from difficult life and economic circumstances to achieve their own dreams of independence and self-sufficiency with the help of a 4-year college degree.

I am pleased to announce that to date, we have awarded over 618 scholarships valued in excess of approximately $20 million dollars. Our unique 6-year scholarship, known as the Simon Scholars program, begins during a student's junior year of high school and continues through 4 years of college. Our intensive high school curriculum focuses on life skills and leadership training activities that greatly increase the likelihood Scholars successfully achieve at least a bachelor's degree and prosper in post college life. Thanks to this crucial component, over 90% of our Scholars currently graduate college - far exceeding the rate of students from similar circumstances.

Recently, I expanded the foundation to include advocacy for workforce housing. I find it tragic that most of America's work force - teachers, policemen and firemen, for example, cannot afford to live near where they work due to the exorbitant cost of housing. I have invested significantly in manufacturing and construction processes that create methods to reduce costs and eliminate waste. Embracing these practice enables us to construct high quality, attractive housing that is truly affordable to the people who keep us safe, teach our children and keep our country running. I want to encourage public and private partnerships to work together to bring this desperately needed initiative of affordable housing to fruition.

So, I invite you to learn more about the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing. I hope you will get the same joy I do from helping young people reach their potential and become America's future leaders. The Simon Scholars program needs your participation to help as many deserving students as we can. Thank you for your interest in keeping America strong.

Ronald M. Simon