Basketball has always been a sanctuary for Carter Ruck ’27.
“Since middle school, I’ve known that I wanted to play basketball in college. I didn’t know where or what that would look like yet, but all I knew was that I really love this sport,” Ruck says. “Whether I’m shooting or dribbling by myself or playing with my teammates, I’m never bored by basketball.”
As a student-athlete at Trinity University, Ruck has learned how to juggle the demands of his sport, academics, extracurriculars, and social life all at once. “It takes a lot of time and preparation, but you can’t find anything better in terms of both athletic and academic prowess than at Trinity,” he says. “Division III athletics here has given me such a unique opportunity that I feel I have benefited from.”
Ruck, a finance and accounting double major with a sport management minor, always knew that he wanted to study business, but he was unsure which discipline he wanted to pursue. He was first inspired to explore accounting and finance by his basketball manager and teammates. This combination of majors has allowed him to see a wider variety of areas in business.
Ruck drew inspiration from Jacob Tingle ’95, Ed.D., who teaches sport management, to pursue a sport management minor. “Dr. Tingle has always been a friend of mine and showed me a lot of respect and love during my freshman and sophomore years,” Ruck says. “He was the one who pushed me towards the minor, which has encompassed so many fun and interesting classes.”
Last summer, Ruck interned with Capital One, and he was able to score a permanent position with the company. After graduation, he’ll move to Chicago to work as a commercial banking analyst. At first, he’ll rotate through the company’s various commercial lines of business, getting hands-on experience across the industry and putting his myriad skills to use.
He’s excited to build on what he knows and expand his horizons. “This is a very team-oriented business, so I won’t just be sitting at a desk crunching numbers,” Ruck says. “I will be working with people and getting their perspectives on what we should be doing with their money. I’m excited to get a taste of everything this field has to offer.”
As Ruck reflects on his last year as a Tiger, he sees a journey with endless opportunities and support from faculty and his team. “The basketball team is truly a brotherhood. Those are some of my best friends,” he says. Ruck also credits his coaching staff, Jimmy Smith, Sterling Holmes, and Marwan Elrakabawy, for preparing him for life after college sports and classrooms.
Outside of basketball, Ruck spends his time volunteering and engaging in community outreach through Young Life, a non-denominational Christian outreach ministry, and Hidden Opponent, a student-athlete mental health organization. “Besides basketball, these things are truly a big part of my life,” Ruck says. “I came into Trinity as a wide-eyed freshman who didn’t completely understand the world yet. Now, I feel like I am leaving knowing what I value and who I am.”
