It was merely by chance that Steve Kruskamp Jr. would join Team Dynasty for The Associate. The senior marketing major was helping to make an advertisement, like he often does around campus, when the opportunity fell into his lap.
Without a picture of Ed Hale, the Donald Trump of Towson's version of "The Apprentice," Kruskamp put his own picture in the application advertisement, to add a visual to the overall design.
Laleh Malek, the marketing and E-business professor who helped shape this event, decided she wanted Kruskamp's picture to stay part of the design.
Although Kruskamp had not planned on applying for The Associate, he thought it would not be right for him to be on the poster but not in the game and soon became one of the eight students selected.
Since he was fired on Tuesday, Kruskamp wants to take his newfound confidence and continue to apply himself around Towson and elsewhere during his last semester in school.
"The Associate itself has really started to make a name," Kruskamp said. "When I'm introduced to people, I'm introduced as 'Steve, he's doing The Associate,' and immediately people are asking me questions -- immediately they have a little bit of respect for that fact that I'm doing this."
Kruskamp served as the project manager for his team of three and his firing was a result of this position. A mistake was made in finances and it fell back on Kruskamp as the leader.
In the case, the two groups had to consolidate two buildings into one. Issues included different lease availabilities and rentable space.
"The actual setup of the manufacturing process was somewhat chaotic," Kruskamp said. "Space wasn't used effectively and efficiently and [the technical firm] wanted us to come up with a plan to help utilize every inch of space so every square foot they were paying for was being used."
The team had very specific skills: a manager, a financier and a marketer. The team had their characteristic out-of-the-box thinking, but they made one mistake that sacrificed another candidate.
Team Dynasty overestimated the cost of the project by $140,000. Their opponent, Team Bank Shot, underestimated by $40,000 and won their second case.
Both teams missed the budget line, but Team Bank Shot's estimate was more accurate. "It was an honest mistake, one that both teams made, one that was made unfortunately because we weren't checking each other's work," Kruskamp said.
Kruskamp said everyone expected the finance person for his or her team would get fired, not him. Brianna Lindner even changed her schedule around assuming she would not be coming back to The Associate.
Nevertheless, Kruskamp had a sudden feeling he was going to be the one to leave. "When Ed Hale, [TU President Robert] Caret and [Dennis] Finnegan stepped out, I was toying with the idea because [Hale] had asked Bri whom she would fire," Kruskamp said. "When he asked her that question, immediately a red flag went up in my head and I thought something's up, something's awry."
Kruskamp became weary with Hale's act and waited for the judges to return with their decision. Remembering the format of other competitions, Kruskamp noticed the judges talk first to the people who they are not going to fire.
When Hale sat down, he looked to Lindner.
"He started talking to Bri, and it was funny too because I had a couple of my friends in the audience and they said as soon as he started talking to Bri, my face started turning red because I knew," Kruskamp said. "I knew he was going to choose me because I was in a leadership position."
Hale told Kruskamp as a leader, his team was his full responsibility.
"I agreed with what Hale said. As a leader in the real world, even if it's a small amount that's wrong, they're going to go to the manager," he said. "It was my job as project management to double check it."
While Kruskamp would have liked to go farther in the competition, he knows he will take a lot from the experience in friendships and contacts.
"I built a bunch of friendships with everyone, not just on my team, but with the competition," he said. "I made great contacts with Mr. Hale [and] Mr. Finnegan, Hale's right hand man."
Kruskamp also felt comfortable around the judges as the competition continued, describing Hale and Finnegan as having good cop, bad cop characteristics.
He described Finnegan as "the nice guy" that offered his advice and always congratulated candidates for trying.
Hale, as Kruskamp described, was not entirely fitting of the bad cop role, but "he has this very distinct poker face where you can never really tell what he's thinking."
His eyes would be watching everyone in the room even if he was talking to someone, Kruskamp explained. He respects Hale for his hard work, his qualities and because "he's going 24/7 and he never stops."
As he leaves the competition behind, Kruskamp maintains respect for the people remaining in the game.
"A lot of people think we're just doing this for class credit, they don't realize we're putting in a ton of hours each week," he said. "Only one person is going to be left over, so there's seven people who are putting in all these hours and they're not guaranteed a job."
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