The most important thing Maria Kruger can teach the students who seek her help, she says, is how to effectively prepare themselves for life after graduation. For the past three years, Kruger has served as an important resource for students seeking experience in a variety of career fields.

"The longer I've been here, the more first-years and sophomores I see," she says. "That's good because it means they are aware internships are one of the best ways you can gain experience and explore areas related to your major. Internships can affirm or negate what you think you want to do, and I believe having that experience as an undergraduate makes your degree so much more valuable."

Kruger's office sponsors a big internship fair in the spring and will offer smaller ones during the month of October. Throughout the year, there also is the opportunity for students to participate in an "externship." The Experience Externships program allows five to six students and a faculty member to spend half a day on site at a particular business or organization.

"The goal is for the students to get an in-depth feel for what that organization is about and experience their culture." National Instruments and St. David's Cardiac Rehabilitation Center were two organizations that hosted student visits last year.

Kruger was the first to fill her position at Southwestern in 1999. Previously, the school had no centralized resource center for student internships. When she arrived, not only did she have to adjust to a new position, but she says returning to her alma mater eight years later as a staff member required a big adjustment. "It was hard because so many of the faculty I had for class were still here, and instead of calling them 'Dr.,' they want me to call them 'Bob.' It felt really strange, but great, too, because I was home again."

With a mother who worked for the Methodist Church, Kruger credits the many Southwestern alumni in her congregation in San Antonio as a big reason she chose to attend the University. After graduating with a degree in history, she left Texas to pursue graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

It was there that she first found an interest in academic advising as she worked closely with athletes in the basketball and football programs, including current NFL players Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy. "It also got me interested in collegiate athletics. Before I started, I could have cared less. But then again, I think that's exactly why they hired me in the first place. I didn't mind telling a 6'5'' 240-pound star player he needed to work on his academics if he wanted to play."

After receiving her M.Ed. in educational organization and leadership, she decided to come back to Texas--"I was tired of the weather up there." She accepted a position with the athletic department at the University of Houston, where she met her spouse, David. Four years later, she saw an ad for a job opening at Southwestern.

"I just love this place," she says. "The opportunity that we, as faculty and staff, have to develop relationships with students is very unique to this institution."

Kruger is a member of the Diversity Enrichment Committee and ALLIES and was honored with a Unity in Action Diversity Achievement Award last year. She sang with the SU Heritage Choir and served on the Core Values Council this past year.

Now married for six years, she has a four-year-old daughter, Isabella, and a twelve-year-old stepdaughter, Lauren. David is the Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services at Southwest Texas State University.

Kruger says she has two goals for her life: 1. To visit every continent on the planet (so far she's seen four of the seven) and 2. To sing back-up for James Taylor for five minutes (no luck as of yet).  As for her goals for Southwestern, she says she'd like to see "a faculty and staff Halloween costume contest. I'm a firm believer in dressing up. Last year, I made my own Minnie Mouse costume. I think everyone needs to be silly sometimes." So far, no luck on this one either. But check back in October--at least one staff member will be dressed up.