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Summer Update: Kaylen Krueger
8/1/2018 12:55:00 PM | Softball
We continue our summer updates with Gopher softball student-athletes as we check in on Kaylen Krueger's summer fun. GopherSports.com had the opportunity to catch up with Krueger to see how her summer job is going and even ask about her recent discovery of being a match for donating bone marrow.
GopherSports.com: First off how have your summers been so far?
Kaylen Krueger: Great! I've been spending a lot of time with my family which I really enjoy doing.
GS: This summer you are working a pretty awesome job, can you tell us who you are working for and what you do?
KK: I work for a company called ASPIRO based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Here, I assist in running the recreational program for our adult clients with disabilities. Our typical activities include fishing, volunteering in the community, golfing, bowling, dancing, karaoke, and community outings. It is super cool because at APIRO clients get the opportunity to work for pay, make new friends, and stay active all while having fun!
GS: What is your favorite part of the job?
KK: My favorite part of this job is getting to hang out with the clients and meet all kinds of unique individuals that I wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity to do elsewhere. The clients are by far the reason that I seeked this job and they make going to work fun every single day. I pretty much get to hang out and play games for my job and they make it a great environment to be in!
GS: How has this job benefited you as a person?
KK: I have learned many life lessons from my clients without them even knowing it. I have learned that it is ok to be yourself and put yourself out there no matter who is watching. These clients don't care that they have disabilities or that they are different, all that they care about is having fun and enjoying their time at ASPIRO. I love that they live so care free and are willing to be themselves and I am starting to better myself with the help of the clients. They are just so great I cannot say enough about them.
GS: You recently found out that you were a match for donating bone marrow. Can you tell us about the process of donating and the steps after finding out you were a match?
KK: So when we were at the Big Ten tournament a year ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan, our entire team participated in a swab test through Gift of Life, which puts you into a database as a potential donor. Mid-June I received a call that I was a match for a patient with leukemia. To start I had to fill out a background information questionnaire to make sure that I was physically able to become a donor. Recently I was noticed that I passed this portion of the examination and I am now waiting to move to the next step. Now, I am waiting to be noticed that the patient is well enough to receive the transplant in which I will be tested one more time before being flown out to donate. Being that I am going into the medical field, I am passionate about helping others in any way that I can and I feel like this is one of those opportunities that I cannot refuse. This is an amazing opportunity to positively impact someone's life and I am so thankful for Gift of Life and the work that they do.
GS: Looking back a little bit, what did you enjoy most about the 2018 season?
KK: The 2018 season was full of ups and downs but what I enjoyed most was being able to experience it with my teammates and see how well we handled adversity. The Big Ten tournament is definitely a defining moment that sticks out to me, not only because we won, but because of the turn of events that happened to get us to the championship. The tournaments was filled with numerous delays and the team never faltered once and it was an amazing thing to be a part of.
GS: You move up to the upperclassmen ranks heading into your junior season, what are you looking forward to in the 2019 season?
KK: As always I look forward to meeting our new teammates and getting the team back out on the field. I believe this year can be great for us and I am ready to start putting in the work and preparation to get us there.
GopherSports.com: First off how have your summers been so far?
Kaylen Krueger: Great! I've been spending a lot of time with my family which I really enjoy doing.
GS: This summer you are working a pretty awesome job, can you tell us who you are working for and what you do?
KK: I work for a company called ASPIRO based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Here, I assist in running the recreational program for our adult clients with disabilities. Our typical activities include fishing, volunteering in the community, golfing, bowling, dancing, karaoke, and community outings. It is super cool because at APIRO clients get the opportunity to work for pay, make new friends, and stay active all while having fun!
GS: What is your favorite part of the job?
KK: My favorite part of this job is getting to hang out with the clients and meet all kinds of unique individuals that I wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity to do elsewhere. The clients are by far the reason that I seeked this job and they make going to work fun every single day. I pretty much get to hang out and play games for my job and they make it a great environment to be in!
GS: How has this job benefited you as a person?
KK: I have learned many life lessons from my clients without them even knowing it. I have learned that it is ok to be yourself and put yourself out there no matter who is watching. These clients don't care that they have disabilities or that they are different, all that they care about is having fun and enjoying their time at ASPIRO. I love that they live so care free and are willing to be themselves and I am starting to better myself with the help of the clients. They are just so great I cannot say enough about them.
GS: You recently found out that you were a match for donating bone marrow. Can you tell us about the process of donating and the steps after finding out you were a match?
KK: So when we were at the Big Ten tournament a year ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan, our entire team participated in a swab test through Gift of Life, which puts you into a database as a potential donor. Mid-June I received a call that I was a match for a patient with leukemia. To start I had to fill out a background information questionnaire to make sure that I was physically able to become a donor. Recently I was noticed that I passed this portion of the examination and I am now waiting to move to the next step. Now, I am waiting to be noticed that the patient is well enough to receive the transplant in which I will be tested one more time before being flown out to donate. Being that I am going into the medical field, I am passionate about helping others in any way that I can and I feel like this is one of those opportunities that I cannot refuse. This is an amazing opportunity to positively impact someone's life and I am so thankful for Gift of Life and the work that they do.
GS: Looking back a little bit, what did you enjoy most about the 2018 season?
KK: The 2018 season was full of ups and downs but what I enjoyed most was being able to experience it with my teammates and see how well we handled adversity. The Big Ten tournament is definitely a defining moment that sticks out to me, not only because we won, but because of the turn of events that happened to get us to the championship. The tournaments was filled with numerous delays and the team never faltered once and it was an amazing thing to be a part of.
GS: You move up to the upperclassmen ranks heading into your junior season, what are you looking forward to in the 2019 season?
KK: As always I look forward to meeting our new teammates and getting the team back out on the field. I believe this year can be great for us and I am ready to start putting in the work and preparation to get us there.
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