Forging a Norwich Future

“I always think back to how Norwich prepares you for the real world,” says Paul Fousek ’01. “Being on time, trying hard, and no excuses were expected – I had professors who were certainly willing to help, but they treated you like adults. It wasn’t this sort of coddled experience where you were shocked that there were expectations in the real world.”

When Fousek graduated high school, he spent his next few years in the real-world workforce before deciding on a Norwich education. “I graduated from Montpelier High School and took a couple years to run a restaurant,” he says, though family ties would eventually sway him to enroll at Norwich. “My brother attended; my mother worked there, earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees. It felt like the right place for me.”

As a civilian student, Fousek saw the Norwich Corps of Cadets’ attitude towards life as a benefit that rubs off on the greater community. “They have quite a bit of responsibility in the Corps, sometimes you would wonder how they handle so many responsibilities,” he says. “They’ve all committed themselves to a totally different lifestyle that makes it a lot harder to have excuses.”

He credits the Norwich lifestyle with preparing him for the challenges that would await him in the real world. In thanks, his family decided to support the school through the Partridge Society all these years later. “My wife went to Harvard University and we’re not giving money there; our money might as well be worthless to them,” says Fousek. “Learning more about the need and the mission at Norwich made us think we should support it where we can. Having the opportunity to support something where the money would go to a good use was important to us.”

“The people involved with the University are very passionate about the mission,” he says. “The Partridge Society is important for a place like Norwich to continue and thrive. Every university cannot be a liberal arts university. Our people are different, and there has to be a place like this for students who want a different experience.”

He knows that Norwich people are committed to the experience that the school provides. “It’s a mindset that is oftentimes lacking and we have to make sure that places like this don’t disappear,” he says. “I think that’s where you get the passion on both sides, civilian and Corps. There’s a certain amount of kinship there that you just can’t duplicate.”

His support of the Partridge Society has allowed Fousek the opportunity to expand his role with the school and work towards the future of those invested in Norwich. “I’ve met some great people and been able to accomplish some great things like the Bloomberg Lab, tied in with my service on the Board of Fellows,” he says. “It’s something you can really put your hands on. Looking at what we were able to do for a small school in Central Vermont that doesn’t have a billion-dollar endowment makes me feel like money is being used for the right reasons.”

“The opportunity to meet students and talk with them, especially Corps kids who are going to be commissioned, makes it hard not to support them,” says Fousek. “Seeing how the funds help them with their education and finding their launching point is important. They’ll be in the service for at least four years, and making sure they have a career path following their service is important.”

Fousek knows what Norwich students are looking for in life and wants to do his part to secure that future. “You don’t go here without looking for this way of life,” he says. “You’re looking for that bond, you’re looking for that commitment. There are only a few serious institutions in the region that you could attend, so it’s important that Norwich University is there and that we support it how we can.”

This story was previously published in the spring 2025 edition of the Norwich Record.