At Rensselaer, we are proud to recognize the student-athletes who are members of the Class of 2020. We thank them for their hard work, dedication and tremendous efforts in representing the Institute in a first-class manner academically and athletically. We wish them well as they continue to complete the semester and become Rensselaer alumni / alumnae. 

While at Rensselaer:
Guard ... Captain as senior ... Played 96 career games, 52 as starter ... Averaged 13.6 points ... Finished career ranked sixth in school history with 1,307 points ... Had 319 rebounds (3.3 per game), 194 steals, 152 assists and 11 blocked shots ... All-Liberty League three times ... D3Hoops.com All-Region once ... Architecture major ... Experience at Center for Architecture Science and Ecology in Brooklyn ... Intern at Wiss Janney Elstner & Associates (forensic architecture engineering).

Favorite sports memory during career?
"Beating Ithaca." - May 2020

What makes Rensselaer so special?
"Perfect balance of competitive athletics and a great education." - May 2020

What are your post-graduation plans?
"Working as an enclosure consultant at WJE in DC." - May 2020

From the coaching staff:
"Samantha Krumbhaar will leave Rensselaer as one of the top players in the history of RPI women's basketball. What makes Sam special among special people is her genuine toughness, genuine caring and genuine being. She never backs down from any challenge and never takes any plays off - not in pick up, not in individual workouts, not in drills, not in the weight room, not in conditioning, not in practice, not in games. She combined child-like joy with true grit every second of every athletically related activity. Being a member of the RPI women's basketball truly is a once in a life time opportunity and genuine privilege to Sam.
 
Finding heroes in today's world often seems more and more difficult, the term is often misplaced, miss-assigned and often heroes don't come from where and when most expect them. Samantha Krumbhaar is a hero to her family, her teammates, and her coaches. She of course is not aware of this and even if others tried to make her so, she is too humble, too genuine of a person to accept such accolades and recognition. She will never share with you the challenges she has and continues to face off the court daily, but I can assure you if you knew them and see what she has accomplished, see how she brightens the lives of others and get to know her as a person, she would be a hero to you, too.
 
As a parent, an educator and a coach some of the greatest gifts we receive from our children, our students and our athletes are the honor and privilege of witnessing and participating in their growth; being blessed with the chance to see their talents, abilities and hard work in action moving from promise/potential to fruition; to be given the opportunity to share in a part of their life's journey. It has been my great privilege and honor to witness Sam as a student, an athlete, a leader, an artist and most importantly as human being over the past six years and to see her give witness to the promise of the future by her life, words, and actions; to give inspiration and example to others by the testimony of her life. Sam never stops working, never stops giving." - March 2020 

What others say:
"Sam is the definition of a hard worker. She worked as hard as she could every time she stepped into the gym. It was amazing to see how she never went less than full speed no matter the drill or situation. She put all of her heart into every game and pushed everyone on the team to do the same. I am so excited to see what she can accomplish in the future!"

"Sam always pushed everyone around herself to be better. She was a great captain and an even more fierce competitor. Basketball brought us together." - March 2020

"Balls out on the court and in the classroom, really easy to get along with and we became very close this year. Very inclusive to all of us and was always there when we needed help/guidance." - March 2020

"She's the example of determination and effort. She's become an outstanding leader on the court and my best friend off the court." - April 2020

"Sam is an absolute bucket. I've never met anyone more dedicated to the sport and it shows in how she plays. Sam, I'm so lucky to have gotten to play with you this year and also to get to know you as a person. Best of luck next year, but we already know you'll do great!" - April 2020

"Samantha Krumbhaar is one of the hardest working players I know. She would always be the first and last player at the gym everyday working her hardest. She was such a supportive teammate and an incredible role model. Sam's dedication pushed not only herself, but the rest of the team as well. I will miss her pre-game hype speeches!" April 2020

All Senior Celebration Series pieces are available by clicking HERE.