For IB valedictorian Kruse, math classes add up to success

Carter Kruse didn't set out to get the top grade point average in Niwot High's International Baccalaureate programme this year, but his penchant for hard work and precocious talent for advanced math made that outcome literally inevitable. Nonetheless, he was humbled by the honor, even though it seemed more a function of statistics than anything else.

"I am fortunate to be up there simply just because of some of the classes that I took," he said of being named IB valedictorian for 2021. "I took a couple of AP and IB classes in my sophomore year, and I think that helped to boost me above some of my peers. I don't think class rank is necessarily a reflection of someone's ability.... I know plenty of other students that have always gotten A's in classes, and they will be super successful."

Kruse's modesty obscures an academic career dotted not just with Niwot's advanced math classes, but also independent study in discrete mathematics and combinatorics at Front Range Community College, and courses in multivariate calculus and abstract mathematics through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. That is in addition to the IB program's regular course load, advanced placement (AP) classes in physics and computer science, and a full slate of volunteering and extracurriculars, including three years of varsity soccer.*

"I think in terms of staying balanced, it was certainly a challenge at times," Kruse said. "There were some late nights in which I would get home from a game and still have some things to do. In terms of staying organized, I tend to use a planner like I think a lot of students do, but I wouldn't say that I did anything super special. I think just working hard pays off quite a bit of the time. And dedication to everything that you do, whether it be soccer or academics."

In September, Kruse will be taking his prodigious talents to the Ivy League's Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Earlier this spring, he was selected for Dartmouth's exclusive Jack Byrne Scholars Program, an elite mathematics fellowship that gives undergraduates both financial aid and opportunities for independent study and special mathematics projects.

"They typically choose six to eight in each class, that are high achieving in mathematics," Kruse explained. "They provide some financial assistance to help with going on trips or travels and things like if I wanted to do a math conference. It's not necessarily a scholarship. It's more of an award program that will allow me to continue to explore my interest in math and other fields of study."

Those other fields of study include economics and computer science, which Kruse could pick up as minors. The latter is an interest he put to use designing a course to teach younger students how to code in the computer language Python as part of his Creativity Activity and Service project, a requirement to receive an IB diploma.

The Colorado native hasn't traveled to the east coast much, but is relishing the chance to spend the next several years in a new environment, and broadening his horizons inside and outside the classroom.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting a bunch of new people. In Colorado, I've been around a bunch of people that might share similar interests, and at Dartmouth, I'll really get a wide-range of people that share some interests, and then also have very different interests. It'll be nice to meet some of those people and make some new friends."

But Kruse, a self-described "outdoorsy person," will also have some of the comforts of home when he gets to the Granite State.

"I like the smaller community," he said. "It's in a little bit more of a forested, rural area in New Hampshire, so I thought that was kind of unique, and it gave me the opportunity to be in a place where I would fit."

In the meantime, Kruse is hoping to enjoy a low-key summer as a day camp counselor for the City of Longmont, where he will be overseeing school-aged kids in various activities. He has also been reflecting on his valedictory speech, and, more broadly, lessons from the trials and tribulations of the Class of 2021.

"I wanted to talk more on the positive side of things rather than some of the more negative things that had come up this year," he said. "My main message that I wanted to pass along to everyone is the idea of connectivity or being connected with others, and staying connected in challenging times."

*On May 28, Kruse received Class 4A All-State Soccer honorable mention for 2021.