|
Raised in Northeastern Ohio in a town so rural he admits he “didn’t see a car coming down the street most days,” Ron Park ’83 never imagined holding interviews with the country’s leading accounting firms on the eve of his graduation from then-Texas A&I University. He also hadn’t predicted he’d one day open his very own accounting firm, passionately and joyfully serving others. But that’s exactly where he found himself and why he feels compelled to create the same opportunities for current students at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
“I think I had nine or ten interviews with major firms,” Park shared, recalling his senior year. “At the time, there was a thing called the Big Eight.” This term referred to the country’s most revered accounting firms of the 1980s: Arthur Andersen, Arthur Young, Coopers & Lybrand, Deloitte Haskins and Sells, Ernst & Whinney, Peat Marwick Mitchell, Price Waterhouse, and Touche Ross. “I had interviews with five of them on campus. It was phenomenal. What a great training ground for interacting with them,” he said.
Although he undoubtedly earned this impressive interview lineup because of his dedication and discipline as a student, Park humbly admits his knowledge and skill with interviewing wasn’t instinctual. He instead relied heavily on the exceptional care and one-on-one attention his professors invested in his success.
“It was the first time I ever interviewed, in my life,” Park explained. “I went in there with my new suit and walked out thinking I did alright, you know? Then the professors came up to me and asked ‘What did you do in there? They were not impressed!’” The interviewer relayed that Park had stared at his feet the majority of the meeting and showed no confidence, causing an almost immediate dismissal from consideration for the role.
Eager to overcome the challenge, Park worked immediately with his professors to gain confidence and improve upon the feedback he received. “I walked into my next interview with Arthur Andersen – which at the time was the largest public accounting firm in the world – like I’d been waiting four years for the interview” Park said. “And [the interviewer] made me an offer. I came out and my professors asked again ‘what did you do in there?’ And they told me it was the first time [Arthur Andersen] had made an offer in an interview on campus.”
His evolution from an uncertain student to a prepared, young professional is something Park credits entirely to the invaluable student-faculty relationship that only a smaller university like Texas A&M-Kingsville can provide. “Faculty had a huge impact on me, there’s no question,” he exclaimed. “When I walked into Texas A&I, Dr. James McIntyre met me, and he was a mentor throughout my years there. He was a great role model and a great guy.”
It was Dr. McIntyre who also notified Park about a competitive scholarship, encouraging him to apply. Being awarded that scholarship changed Park’s life, as it wound up covering the cost of his out-of-state tuition. Eyes glistening from the appreciation he feels recalling that memory, Park commented, “Thinking back to all of this stuff – it’s like man, that was huge.”
He’s never taken any of it for granted. Throughout his over 40-year career in accounting, Park has emulated joy, excitement and a true passion for what he does. “Another great mentor I had was Dr. Stone who taught advanced cost accounting, which is a really tough class. And he was out of control, just wild,” he joked. “What I’ve tried to do is just be passionate and get excited every day. I want everyone to have that excitement. You know, 41 years [accounting] this year, and I still love every bit of it. It’s always changing – new clients, different clients, different situations. I think a big part of that comes from Dr. Stone and his passion.”
After several years of working for other esteemed accounting firms post-graduation, it was this foundational joy and satisfaction in his career that fueled Park into his next venture, opening Park Fowler & Co., PLLC in Corpus Christi in 1989. “I just decided it was time,” he shared. “I kind of knew somewhere in my career path I was going to go out on my own, but when? When’s the right time? And there really is no right time … but I just jumped into it. And it’s worked out great ever since.”
Filled with gratitude for the transformative change the university had in his life – and hoping to return that incredible impact tenfold to current and future Javelinas – Park recently established the Park Fowler & Co., PLLC Scholarship Endowment for the College of Business Administration at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Generously donating $100,000 toward this endowment, Park explained, “I don’t think financial barriers should impede talent. We know that happens all the time, but maybe this helps with two scholarships a year. That would be so cool, because I know what it did for me.” He continued, “I want the College of Business to have the next generation of leaders. It’s tough out there. I want students to come in and have a passion for it and not be stopped.”
With a heartfelt promise to support current Javelinas – whether by visiting campus as a resource, offering internships through his firm, or proudly wearing his favorite Blue & Gold gear – Park insists his Javelina pride goes far beyond any dollar amount. Instead, it rests on the longstanding family values of a small university in South Texas that impacted his life beyond his wildest dreams. “My whole reasoning behind [the endowment] was to have an impact and give back,” he concluded. “Being a Javelina just means the world to me. It’s everything.”
|