Every Gift Tells a Story: Virginia Ruesterholz ’83 Hon. D.Eng. ’08 and Kevin Ruesterholz ’83

When Virginia and Kevin were first-year students at Stevens, they met on the tennis courts. Now, they are honoring a special part of their college experience with a generous gift that will establish a state-of-the-art tennis facility on campus.

Thanks to their generosity, construction is underway to transform the North Tennis Courts into the Ruesterholz Tennis Complex, a signature, NCAA-compliant athletic venue. The renovation will replace the existing courts with a premier competition facility featuring a digital scoreboard, spectator bleachers, park-style seating and a welcoming plaza. The complex will be a vibrant space for training and competition, as well as create expanded opportunities for recreation, wellness and community engagement.

Match Point 

After their initial meeting on the courts, Virginia and Kevin reconnected in their senior year.

“We were in chemistry lab together,” Virginia says. “That's when we really started to get to know each other. Kevin used to show up at my dorm to copy notes and that led to us dating and getting engaged.”

Before graduation, in April 1983, the couple got engaged at Stevens and married the following year.

“Stevens has been the nexus to our whole life,” Kevin says. “I met my best friend and partner here, and ever since, everything we have started here at Stevens.”

The Ruesterholz Tennis Complex will bring significant benefits to Stevens. The redesigned facility will give the tennis teams a dedicated on-campus venue for practices and home matches, attract top student-athlete recruits and enable Stevens to host tournaments and events. With new fan amenities, the complex will create a vibrant setting for competition and strengthen alumni and community engagement. The courts will also be available for recreational use by students and Stevens community members, as well as Hoboken residents during the summer. The complex is scheduled for completion by spring 2027.

A Winning Investment  

“The support from the Ruesterholz family is so important to what we are trying to accomplish with this facility,” says Russell Rogers, assistant vice president and director of athletics and recreation. “The complex will be something that is not only a big positive for Stevens, it will be one of the most well-respected tennis facilities in all of NCAA Division III.”

Rogers notes that the gift is significant to the entire athletic program: “It sets a standard of excellence.”

Alix Dry, Class of 2027, a member of the women’s tennis team, is grateful to the Ruesterholz family for their generosity. “Going into my senior year, I've never played a home match, so this is exciting to be able to have all my friends and family come out and see me and my team play on our campus,” she says.

“The new courts will definitely improve the life of a tennis student-athlete,” she notes, adding that the complex will increase the number of courts available for practice, eliminate drive-time to secondary locations for matches and practice and create an energetic home-court atmosphere with fellow students there to cheer them on.

Like Virginia and Kevin, she too has a personal connection to the tennis courts: “I've met my lifelong best friends on these courts.”

Serving the Next Generation 

Having NCAA-compliant courts is a game changer, says Arik Zeevy ’11, head women’s tennis coach and alumnus of the men’s tennis team.

“Our tennis student-athletes are going to benefit so much from this investment,” he says. “It's going to improve our quality of practice. It's going to allow us to host home matches, invitationals, and most importantly, make our home courts a destination for college tennis.”

“The complex will attract recruits who will come onto campus and the first thing they will see is this beautiful tennis complex and view over the Manhattan skyline,” Zeevy adds. “It will inspire our student-athletes. It will inspire our alumni to come back. It will be amazing for our campus community.”

Virginia and Kevin are generous benefactors, supporting many areas of Stevens over the years. Their enduring connection inspired their generous commitment to establish the Ruesterholz Admissions Center, which opened in 2014, and continues to offer a warm, welcoming space for students, prospective students and their families, and visitors each year. This support was a Mother’s Day gift to Virginia from Kevin and their children.

They are also generous in volunteering their time. Virginia is a member of the Stevens Board of Trustees and served as the first female chair from 2013 to 2018. She participated on the advisory board of the then-School of Systems and Enterprises, and the couple co-chaired the Edwin A. Stevens Society for leadership-level annual giving.

After graduating from Stevens, they both led highly successful careers. Virginia built a distinguished career in telecommunications, culminating with her role as president of Verizon Services Operations. Kevin spent nearly two decades in business development at Bell Labs Lucent Technologies before launching a second career in law.

A Lasting Commitment  

Looking back fondly on their first meeting, Kevin says, “Neither one of us was good at tennis, but somehow, we played against each other and had a lot of great half-court volleys. Today, we still play a lot of tennis together, so it's important to us.”

“We felt really proud when we were driving up to the courts,” Virginia says of their recent visit. “The complex is under construction, but just seeing the sign made us feel excited for the students. I think the athletes are going to enjoy being on campus and having the community watch their games. It felt like the right thing to do.”

“I consider tennis a lifelong sport,” Virginia adds, “and I would say our commitment to Stevens is lifelong.”