Taylor Kruter '14 Coaches and Mentors High School Youth

Reflecting on the terrific memories from her time at LVC makes it hard for Taylor Kruter ’14 to remember when The Valley wasn’t even a thought in her mind. 

“Being from Long Island, N.Y., I was unfamiliar with LVC so understandably had no interest in checking it out,” Kruter said. “However, my parents, with the help of LVC’s men’s and women’s lacrosse coaches, convinced me to visit, and as cliché as it sounds, it just felt like the right place when I was walking around and meeting the students and faculty.” 

During her four years at The Valley, Kruter majored in business administration and took part in numerous clubs and on-campus activities. She served as captain of the women’s lacrosse team, a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and a Valley Ambassador. She also enjoyed an internship with the Athletic Department.

Kruter recalls the many skills she learned inside the classroom that helped prepare her for a career. Today, she’s a school counselor at Cardozo High School in Bayside, N.Y. 

“I work with high school students to assist them with a multitude of things, including social, emotional, academic, and career/college readiness development,” Kruter said. “My job includes a lot of collaboration with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders.” 

After school, Kruter coaches girls’ varsity basketball and lacrosse at Kennedy High School in New York. Although she does not work in the business world, she attained a strong skillset in that major she uses in her profession.

“I can truly say that all of the classes I completed for my major hugely impacted my communication skills,” Kruter noted. “My classes required me to use Microsoft Office, specifically advanced features within Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. This helps me get my job done more efficiently and effectively.” 

Kruter recalls fond memories from her time away from class, including Dutchmen Day and the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, but especially remembers the great professors. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed every professor I had in the Business Department and feel as though I learned so much from them,” Kruter said. “If I had to pick just one professor though, I would have to pick Dr. David Rudd [professor emeritus of business administration]. He taught the Intro to Business class that I decided to take my freshman year when I was an undecided major and because of that class I decided to major in business administration.” 

The connection between professor and student can have an impact, even after graduation. Kruter claims that Dr. Rudd helped her in every aspect of her life, and the two have continued to stay in touch.

 

--- Veronica Pettyjohn, Marketing & Communications Intern