Steve Rykowski ’85 Reconnects with TU
Penn Station to Penn Station
Steve Rykowski ‘85 rolled into town right on schedule, arriving in Penn Station at 9:41 a.m. on the 183 Northeast Regional from NYC, like he does for just about every game during football and basketball season. On occasion, he’ll forgo the train and opt for the Peter Pan Express instead. It’s been the same routine for the last six years. This time, Steve got a real Tiger greeting. Doc was on hand, along with assistant director of athletics development, Matt Death, to welcome him “home.” A native of Landsdowne, MD and a NYC transplant since 1995 (he currently lives in Woodhaven NY and calls himself a “bridge and tunnel person”), Steve says he feels like he has two homes.
Since graduating in 1985, and for more than 30 years, Steve wasn’t connected to TU. That all changed when he began attending regional alumni events in 2010. “That was the spark I needed to get involved again,” he says. Then in 2017, he visited the alumni hospitality room at a basketball game and talked with a few people (which comes naturally for Steve), and the rest is history. He is still connected to the people he met back in 2017. “It’s the social camaraderie that draws me in–bonding with fellow TU people and reminiscing,” says Steve. “The common thread is that we all love TU.”
A football season ticket holder since 2017, Steve also attends more than half the men’s basketball games and loves the social aspect of his regular visits to TU. “TU really takes care of its alumni,” he says.
“I hope my regular trips back to TU inspire other out-of-state alums to reconnect with TU as a way of giving back.”
“Steve’s commitment to Towson is truly unique,” says Steve Eigenbrot, director of TU athletics. “The people make the place and Steve’s energy, support and enthusiasm are a very special part of this place. If we could take another dozen fans that travel and support us like he does, I’d sign up for that today!”
Steve works for a travel management company developing and maintaining booking tools and apps. He was a business administration major but took a lot of philosophy courses. “Intro to philosophy satisfied the humanities requirement,” says Steve. And his love for philosophy continues today. He counts Dr. Rick Vatz as one of his favorite instructors. “He challenged me to think and to argue against my beliefs which were shaped by my inherent biases,” Steve remembers. “My best developmental years were spent at TU. I grew socially and intellectually here.”
