获奖者

 

The passion John Stanoch has for law and government began in high school when he participated in the YMCA’s Youth in Government program. “It was a blast for me because I [had an] interest in government, and I met some nice people that I’m friends with to this day,” he said. From learning to draft bills to touring the Minnesota State Capitol, his enthusiasm for law only grew. 

 

After graduating from Minnetonka High School in 1976, Stanoch attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then went on to earn his juris doctor degree from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul. 

 

Stanoch’s career in politics started in 1990 when he was chosen to serve as Rudy Perpich’s campaign manager in his final gubernatorial run. Following that position, he was appointed as a judge on the Minnesota District Court in Hennepin County where he served as a senior judge and later as President of the Minnesota District Judges Association. Stanoch spent his last years on the bench serving the juvenile population. After retiring as a full-time judge, Stanoch served as Minnesota Deputy Attorney General under then Attorney General Mike Hatch. 

 

Stanoch’s career took a sharp turn as he headed into the forprofit sector. He accepted a position as President of Qwest Communications International Inc. for Minnesota and North Dakota. “That was probably the most unusual career turn for me, because I was trained as a lawyer,” said Stanoch. “It stretched my skills and required me to up my game.” By the time he left Qwest, the company had $1.4 billion in revenue. 

 

Once again, Stanoch’s career took a sharp turn as he headed into the nonprofit sector, serving as President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Upper Midwest. “It really spoke to me, because I believed in the mission of helping provide comfort to families who are experiencing a life threatening illness or a serious injury that happens to their child,” he said. 

 

回顾自己在明尼通卡地区度过的成长岁月，斯塔诺奇想起了那些对他的人生产生深远影响的老师们。“他们总是能看到我的潜力，并给予我鼓励。他们告诉我，只要我想做，什么都能做到，”他说道。 

 

斯塔诺赫在给当今学生提建议时说：“当你们迈向人生新阶段，在职业生涯中不断前进，经历成功与失败时，请记住那些一路上帮助过你们的人，并主动伸出援手，帮助他人。”