“I’m Casey, and I was born and raised in Papillion, NE. I’m the proud sibling to my twin, Morgan, and our little sister who joined our adventure later on. Growing up, my life revolved around sports, largely thanks to my dad who coaches high school basketball. Sports were my childhood, but it wasn’t until middle school that running caught my heart. It started as a hobby but quickly turned into my favorite sport when I got to high school and began competing in cross country and track.

Apart from sports, my interest in business – particularly marketing – flourished in high school. I got to collaborate with a local hotel while in DECA, and that project got me to nationals in Atlanta during my senior year. I loved getting to network with people from all over the place, and that trip really set me on the path of knowing I wanted to pursue a degree in business.

I looked at a bunch of other small private schools, but Morningside stood out to me. The awesome help we got in financial planning, the genuine connections, and the perfect fit geography-wise just made everything click for me. The community here has been everything, especially the track team. They’re not just teammates; they’re like having another family. We have a lot of fun here.

My mantra is all about going with the flow. As I have gone through life, I feel like I have realized more and more that people will get really upset and frustrated over things that I think are pretty small. I can remember having my first serving job and wondering how I would do because some of my coworkers would get so stressed. What I have learned is that keeping a balanced perspective not only makes the work fun, but it also wins other people over. I try to keep that in mind in everything I do.

Running remains my escape and challenge, pushing me to my limits every day. I also play a lot of Pokémon Go because it’s a perfect match for my active life. While I’m still exploring what to do with my marketing and Spanish majors, I’m open to where life takes me, maybe even towards a career that blends design, marketing, and my love for Spanish. I have an internship in the Krone Center right now and I am in the market for more opportunities if anyone out there is looking for someone like me.

A word of advice for future students? Watch out for jobs and opportunities that are too good to be true, because they sometimes are. Rely on professors and the career services staff to help you navigate internships and jobs.”

– Casey Kruger, sophomore, looking for internships, opportunities, and Pokémon during his Morningside experience.