UNION, NJ — When Rey Cruz Jr., Class of ’04, was pursuing his bachelor’s degree in bilingual elementary education/history at Kean University, a professor gave him life-changing advice: In order to know the community you serve, you must walk the streets your students walk.
Cruz applied that principle as an Elizabeth middle school teacher, relating to students differently after witnessing children’s numbness to a street-corner drug bust.
“In my classroom,” he said, “I had a poster of Mahatma Gandhi with the quote: ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world.’”
The Kean alumnus left education to become a New Jersey State Police trooper, but still embraces that professor’s philosophy. Cruz, his wife and their two sons moved from Carteret to Elizabeth, where they feel both connected and empowered.
His wife, Diana, teaches in Elizabeth, and as director of community relations for Troopers United Foundation Inc., a nonprofit associated with the state police, Cruz volunteers as head coach of the Union County Troopers. The club baseball team, for middle and high school boys across the region, was originally based in the Elmora section of Elizabeth, where he has coached for the past 10 years.
The team is named in honor of Trooper Thomas J. Hanratty 4971, a Kean graduate who died in the line of duty in 1992. The Troopers occasionally practice on the university’s fields.
“Rey is a good person with a big heart who gives so much back to the community,” said Associate Athletic Director Jason Sgaramella. “There’s a huge benefit to helping the athletic youth in the communities surrounding Kean University, and it gives them a great introduction to Kean Athletics.”
State Police Lt. Robert Davis praised Cruz’s professionalism and dedication.
“Reinaldo Cruz’s commitment to his community is evident in his active involvement,” Davis said. “As a baseball coach, he not only teaches the fundamentals of the game but also imparts valuable life lessons, fostering a sense of teamwork and perseverance among the young athletes.”
Cruz said his goal is to help inner-city children understand that law enforcement exists to serve, not to inspire fear.
“While at Kean, I was a Middlesex County corrections officer working at the Juvenile Detention Center when I realized a lot of kids didn’t have positive male role models,” he said. “I wanted to make a bigger impact.”
Working with community outreach partners, Cruz and Troopers United support anti-hunger efforts, including Kean’s Cougar Pantry; teach children about law enforcement; assist those in homeless and women’s shelters; run basketball and baseball initiatives; and spearhead coat drives and other organized events.
“Rey embodies the finest traits of our amazing state troopers and brings great pride to Kean University as a graduate with unwavering dedication to serving his community,” said Matthew Caruso, Kean’s chief advancement officer. “Rey’s devotion to helping others extends beyond his work, and it’s what makes him such an admirable man, father and coach.”
Cruz credits his success to his faith, his family, as well as his Kean degree and the network it helped him build.
“That one piece of paper has opened up the doors for so much,” he said, “and has allowed me to effect a positive change in the lives of so many.”
Photo Courtesy of Kean University