Reed Ruggles: Vice President for Student Development

Reed Ruggles, ’04, ’16, joined the University of Mary this summer as Vice President for Student Development. Hear what makes him excited and passionate about this new role and how his time as a scholar-athlete at Mary shaped his life.

Q: What was your journey prior to coming to Mary?

A: I grew up in southwestern North Dakota on a farm, and football, basketball, baseball, and farming were the things to do. I began to realize that I might be able to play college athletics, and that’s what led me to the University of Mary. From the moment I stepped onto campus, something felt very welcoming, good, and safe, and I felt at home there. I ended up playing football and basketball to start, and then football took over. I changed my major a lot, but I ended up graduating with a degree in secondary education.

After graduation, I taught religion at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck for 12 years, and then spent six years as principal. Now that my oldest child is entering high school next year, I decided it was time to pursue new opportunities and let him have a high school experience without his dad looking over his shoulder.

Q: What is one of your best memories from your time as a student at the University of Mary?

A: Sister Thomas Welder knew my name. The first day I arrived on campus, I was right along the Missouri River bluff on the sidewalk. She came up, introduced herself, and said, “You’re Reed Ruggles, from Scranton, North Dakota.” I said, “Yeah, I am, Sister Thomas. How do you know my name?” She said, “Oh, I know who you are.” I know who you are … and that’s how she did things, she knew us by name. I have so many great memories of the University of Mary, but that one really sticks out to me. You want to talk about feeling safe, feeling at home, feeling loved, feeling taken care of? That was one of those moments.

Q: What were the best parts of being a scholar-athlete and some of the most challenging?

A: Hands down, the best parts were building life-long friendships with my teammates and coaches. It also gave me an opportunity to grow in perseverance and virtue. Being a scholar-athlete is a full-time job, on top of being a student. You really must keep your perspective that God’s the most important thing. I would say one of my major challenges was maintaining my identity as a child of God, knowing that it doesn’t define me whether I’m an All-American, all-conference, or a team captain. My identity never changes as a child of God.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: I love spending time with my family. I met my wife, Tamara, at the University of Mary through one of my best friends on the football team who was dating her sister. They also got married, so now I get to see one of my best friends at family gatherings. We have seven children — the oldest is 14 and the youngest is 10 months. I love sports and coaching my kids’ teams, and I enjoy hunting.

Q: What do you look forward to most in this new role?

A: There are places in your life that just feel like home, and the University of Mary is that way for me. I look forward to coming back home to the University of Mary and working with some pretty great people. I’m humbled and excited to be a part of what the University of Mary is doing and will continue to do.

Q: What makes you proud to be a University of Mary alumnus?

A: I am proud of a lot of things, but I would say I'm most proud of knowing that I am part of a legacy of people who know what it means to have faith and to never quit in your life, and it’s the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery who have given us that legacy. If it wasn’t for their bold faith in 1959, the University of Mary wouldn’t exist. Our Sisters have taught us perseverance and faith.