Meet a marketing major who excels in the classroom & on the basketball court

Ray Stringer, in white, was one of two Lakers to make the All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference team this year.

Rayfield "Ray" Stringer, III is looking forward to a career in marketing after the Purdue University Calumet honor student graduates this spring with a baccalaureate degree from the university's School of Management.

While a high school student at nearby Bishop Noll Institute of Hammond , Stringer entertained thoughts of a college basketball career. He put aside those thoughts, however, because as a new father, "I had other responsibilities," he acknowledged.

But after enrolling at Purdue Calumet in 1998, his play in the campus intramural league caught the eye of Purdue Calumet varsity player Travis Schmidt, who encouraged Stringer to try out for the university's intercollegiate team, the Lakers.

Stringer did just that.

As a walk-on, he made the squad in 1999 and cracked the starting lineup midway through his first season. Stringer went on to develop into a versatile, dependable and productive performer, as well as a leader and role model, on and off the court, according to his coach, Gary Hayes.

The 6-foot-1 guard excelled offensively and defensively. He led the Lakers in scoring during the 2002-03 season with a 20.8 points-per-game average. He also was selected to the All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference team and received the conference's prestigious Marshall Morgan Award for athletic ability, leadership, campus/community involvement and academic distinction.

Additionally, he recently was named a 2002-03 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I All-America Scholar-Athlete.

"What is most impressive about Ray is his attitude, his work ethic and his consistency," Hayes said. "He has two daughters, he has a job at the (Hammond) YMCA, he works hard at his studies, and he never missed a practice session. Juggling all those responsibilities as effectively as he did is pretty remarkable. He's definitely been a role model for our team."

Said Stringer, "I couldn't have wanted anything more from my experience at Purdue Calumet. The School of Management has prepared me for the real world. The faculty is concerned about us as students and our learning. I loved coming to basketball practice every day. I fit right in-it's a family atmosphere (here)."