Rudden is one of two NCAA Woman of the Year candidates nominated by the NEC this summer (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
BY Tim Dumas
METROWEST DAILY NEWS
EASTON, Mass. - Lydia Rudden is beginning to see academia from a different perspective – although she still has many semesters remaining as a student.
The Hopkinton High graduate helped create a new course at Stonehill College, the Easton school she graduated from in May. Rudden worked as a research assistant for a philosophy professor, creating a syllabus for a class on ethical leadership that will be included in one of the school's new minors.
That development was part of a busy four years and a continuation of her family's association with Stonehill.
Rudden played four seasons of varsity lacrosse, setting a school record for career assists, and graduated with a 3.88 grade point average as a philosophy major and business administration minor. She was a writing tutor and a teacher's assistant for the business department.
Two months after graduating, Rudden earned another accolade: the school's first nomination for the Northeast Conference's NCAA Woman of the Year. The award, currently in its 33rd year, "recognizes graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, community service and leadership," according to a press release.
Elyssa Enrique of St. Francis (Penn.) University is the conference's other nominee. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the winner in the fall from 30 honorees (10 from each division).
"I was really surprised – I definitely wasn't expecting it," Rudden said. "But I'm really grateful and honored to the NEC for nominating me and my school. It's all because of Stonehill and all the experiences they offered me, both academically and athletically."
She was named the school's and the conference's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a member of the college's mock trial team, served as an Admissions Event Panelist and worked as a laboratory assistant at UMass Memorial Hospital assisting with COVID-19 testing during the pandemic.
But her assistance in creating a new course at Stonehill served as a personal highlight for Rudden, who was named this spring as the school's Outstanding Philosophy Student.
"It was a cool opportunity to see things from the professor's perspective – anticipating students' interests and thinking about what the class discussions would be like and assignments," she said. "I learned a lot."
Rudden followed siblings, parents to Stonehill
Rudden was a two-time Daily News All-Star and captain while playing at Hopkinton High. Both of her parents (Karen and Fritz) and two (Brooke and Hank) of her four siblings attended Stonehill. The natural course was to become a Skyhawk, but Lydia wasn't sure at first.
"I kind of wanted to do something different. I just wanted to play lacrosse; I wasn't expecting anything," she said. "Looking back on my experience, I just have so much gratitude toward the entire experience."
Rudden finished as the Skyhawks career leader in assists and was a first team All-NEC selection after leading the Conference in scoring and assists in their inaugural Division I season (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
Her junior year of lacrosse topped the Stonehill career chart for points (119) in a season, leading the Skyhawks to NEC regular season and conference championships, and an All-America selection. As a captain this spring, Rudden led the NEC in points (72) and assists with 48, which ranked seventh in the nation. Her 77 assists as a junior are a school record and her total from her senior season ties her for third at the school with her sister Brooke, who graduated in 2015.
Rudden begins BC Law School later this month
Rudden, who commended her teammates and 16-year head coach Katie Conover for a successful four years, will begin law school on Aug. 28 at Boston College. Rudden plans to focus on cybersecurity and data/technology privacy for a career.
"I think that ethics and the law go hand in hand – or at least they should," she said. "I've done a lot of research on how laws should and can regulate that sort of behavior. I think that's so interesting."
As she moves on, Rudden will leave her lacrosse stick behind. The four-time Tri-Valley League All-Star says that void will become a reality next spring when she isn't scooping ground balls for the first time since elementary school.
"It's a little sad," she said, "because it's been such a passion of mine."
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.
