McAuley senior basketball player Kennedy DeRuy is getting an opportunity to continue her basketball career while setting up her future beyond the game at the same time.
On Tuesday, DeRuy signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Hunter College in New York City.
“It honestly means the world to me,” DeRuy said to SoMo Sports. “I’ve been visiting New York City since I was 7 years old and ever since then, I’ve always pictured myself there. The connections Hunter has to offer for my future career is unbelievable. The athletic program is filled with great people including my head coach, Coach Garrett. This college has everything I’ve been looking for to take my talents to the next level.”
DeRuy has been a standout basketball player at McAuley for the last several seasons, including this past senior year when she averaged 16 points, nearly six rebounds and four assists to go along with four steals per game in the way to earning Ozark 7 Player of the Year honors. She is the fourth all-time scoring lead in McAuley history with 1,379 points.
Of Course, the main attraction of Hunter College for DeRuy was the media studies program. DeRuy, who plans to be a broadcast journalist, believes she will have unlimited opportunities while attending Hunter College.
“Hunter is located in the middle of Manhattan, so there are many job opportunities dealing with broadcast journalism,” DeRuy said. “Internships can allow me to get a foot in the door and that’s all I need. I love the city around me too. Everyone is hustling around me and that makes me more motivated than ever.”
And while DeRuy is anxious to get to New York City after she graduates, that doesn’t mean she isn’t appreciative of what McAuley has done for her leading up to the point in life. In fact, she credits her time at McAuley for the student-athlete she is today.
“High school basketball obviously got me to this point,” DeRuy said. “Having a dream to play in college gave me the motivation to get better during my high school years. I’ve put in a lot of hours in this McAuley gym. When I’m off in New York, I’ll never forget where I came from. I was taught not to be selfish. I was taught to be a leader, not a follower.”
