Friendship, perseverance and legacy

As he walked across the stage for the 1996 University of Dayton commencement, the University of Dayton Arena erupted. Thousands rose for a one-of-a-kind standing ovation, applauding and cheering for a man remembered for his strength and his character.

Those who knew Jim Strain ’96 never knew him as Jim. Since freshman year on Four East at Stuart Hall, the men on his floor created nicknames for one another. And because Strain refused to remove his Philadelphia Eagles hat, he earned the name Philly — a name that stayed with him and became a hallmark of his identity.

During his senior year at UD, Strain battled leukemia. After returning from treatment, he immediately went back to living life to the fullest as a student and continued to leave an impact on every person he came across.

Strain died one year after graduating, but a tight-knit group refused to let his story end there. In 1997, Brian Kraus ’97 and Mike Donaldson ’96, two of his closest friends, created a scholarship in his name, still carrying vivid memories of the friend they called Philly.

His lifelong dream was to be a pilot. Prior to his diagnosis during the summer between their sophomore and junior years, Strain, his girlfriend at the time and Donaldson went skydiving. Bravely listening to Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” while gripping the seats of the airplane, Donaldson remembered turning his head to the sound of a scream. With the biggest grin on his face, Strain was sitting in the co-pilot seat, flying the plane.

With the biggest grin on his face, Strain was sitting in the co-pilot seat, flying the plane.

“It was one of those moments that I will always remember of seeing this look on his face … of just sheer joy,” Donaldson said. “The 3-year-old kid look.”

After being diagnosed, Strain headed back to Philadelphia for chemotherapy. Kraus looked back on this time and remembered when Strain gave him his car. “I’m not going to be using it, so I want to make sure somebody can use it,” he had said.

Kraus could not believe it.

“When looking at the impact that people have over the course of their life — and for someone who only had 22 years — he maximized his impact,” Kraus said.

From the countless individuals who knew him, he was legendary. “He probably did more for more people by age 22 than most people will in their lifetime,” Donaldson said.

When the idea for the scholarship first emerged, raising the money was a challenge. University Advancement informed them of the need to raise an initial $25,000 to start the endowment. Reaching that number through parties, raffles, private donations and fundraisers, Donaldson described it as “the greatest achievement of my life.”

“[Jim] probably did more for more people by age 22 than most people will in their lifetime.”

In honor of the 30th anniversary of their UD graduation, the group wants to raise $30,000 for the Jim Strain Memorial Scholarship Fund in hopes of honoring students who were like Strain — an absolute joy in life. At Reunion Weekend in June, they had shirts made with a donation link QR code on the sleeve to kick off the fundraiser.

For his friends, the scholarship is a way to keep Strain’s light present on campus. His smile, the one that could brighten the fourth floor of Stuart Hall or any room he entered, still lives in their stories, and they hope it sparks new ones for future students.

“There’s not anybody who is more of a Flyer that represents Dayton,” said Donaldson.

Photographs courtesy of Mike Donaldson.