With deep family ties to the university, Nolan Rucci transferred to Penn State from Wisconsin. Rucci is now majoring in geography while making an impact both on and off the field.
Were you a geography major at Wisconsin?
I wasn’t a geography major before transferring to Penn State. I started out in environmental science at Wisconsin. When I transferred in January 2024, most of my credits applied to geography, so I was really new to it and didn’t know what to expect. Since I’ve been here, I’ve taken a bunch of classes, including using ArcGIS and other programs. I’ve really become interested in geography and GIS and hope to make a career out of it someday.
What about geography appeals to you?
I’m not like a big “sit behind a cubicle” kind of guy for a job. So, if I could get outside doing some kind of land surveying, site analysis stuff, real estate, just being out in the field, I think would be a big plus for me looking for a career. That’s one of the things I was looking for when I started with geography.
What geography classes have you taken so far?
One of the ones I really liked was Geography 390, which was one of the career development classes. We had a lot of cool experiences with speakers coming in and showing us what kind of career paths we could take with geography. We also learned a bunch of networking stuff such as working on LinkedIn and how to set profiles up, interviews and all that. I thought that was a very valuable experience for me in my first semester as a geography major.
On to football, how has the competition with your teammates during preseason practices helped you improve your game and preparation?
Preseason has been great, with a lot of competition. I really appreciate it. Guys like Anthony Donkoh and others have pushed me to step up my game and make sure I’m preparing in every way possible. After practice, I’m making sure I’m right in the weight room and film room. I’m focusing on fixing mistakes and doing the right things between practices.
What are you looking forward to most this season?
I think just being with great friends and family and being closer to home. I think is one of the really cool things about it is just being able to have like my family and friends come to games. I know my parents have appreciated only having a 2-hour drive versus a 14-hour drive. My high school buddies can come up to games as well. Obviously it’s a big fall camp for me to just go out there and prove myself on the field and in the classroom too, I think it is going to be a really good experience.
You mentioned your family. You are a Pennsylvanian native and have family ties to Penn State. Talk about what it feels like to be home and close to your family.
Both parents came here to Penn State and were student-athletes. My dad was a football player, and my mom played field hockey. There is definitely that legacy aspect of being a Nittany Lion in our family. I know my parents really love and appreciate this place, so I’m sure they are really happy. I think one of the coolest things is having my dad back around the Penn State campus where he can see his old teammates and talk about war stories and stuff. Having a support system of family and friends being close to home is super important to me, and it makes the whole experience even more special