Alumni
After Episcopal
Katie Walls Kruger ’04
Katie Walls Kruger ’04 always knew her success as a meteorologist would manifest outside of her small hometown of Lewisburg, West Virginia. When she was only nine-years-old, she realized she wanted to report the weather to thousands of people daily. An avid student determined to pursue her dream, Kruger set out to find the strongest academic setting possible for high school, which she found at Episcopal.
“Meteorology is rooted in math and science, so I knew I needed a good calculus foundation,” Kruger said. “That’s where Mr. Rick Stubbs came in. He was integral in my Calculus AB journey.”
After graduating from Episcopal, Kruger obtained both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Meteorology from Florida State University and Pennsylvania State University respectively. She has lived across the Midwest and East Coast reporting the weather in southern Illinois, Charlotte, Atlanta, and currently southwest Florida. She's certified by the American Meteorological Society, a designation of professional distinction and recognition.
Kruger met her husband, Ryan, while they worked at the same news station in Illinois. They moved to Atlanta and had two boys, Kenneth (6) and Shade (3). “I have two Emmys, but my proudest accomplishment is being able to juggle a family and this life,” she said. “Being in television and working in news is a lifestyle; it is not a nine to five. Figuring out work-life balance has been difficult but rewarding.”
As she continues to excel in a male-dominated field, Kruger touched on some of the misogynistic commentary she has personally received on social media — phrases like “weather girl” and “weather bunny.” “It is derogatory,” she explained. “I’m one of two who hold a Master of Science in the whole market. People also love to talk about what female meteorologists are wearing. I work extra hard so they focus on what I’m saying.”
Kruger hopes she will achieve her personal goals of educating others about the danger of severe weather. An occurrence that is becoming more common for her as she navigates a world of increasingly extreme temperature shifts. “My goal is to educate when it comes to climate change, even though it is highly politicized,” she expressed. “We can’t contribute one particular weather phenomenon or one event to climate change, but we can cite the Arctic ice and the jet stream as the main contributors to dangerous weather changes. That’s what I want to convey to people.”
Kruger considers herself, and all news personnel, “public servants” and finds joy in the gratitude of her viewers. Serving the southwest Florida market on WFTX-Fox4, she was the lead meteorologist reporting on Hurricane Ian. She worked 18-hour shifts while her own home took on significant damage.
“Enduring an event like Ian,” she reminisced about the storm that took the lives of 149 people, 72 in her home base of Lee County alone, “I was not okay. My own family took on major damage and was without power for eight days, but viewers were still thanking me and showing gratitude for staying with them on air and getting them through a Category 4 storm.”
The lessons Kruger learned at Episcopal helped her become the person and meteorologist she is today. After the devastating loss of her father her junior year, Kruger praised EHS for helping her navigate her mental health journey from a young age — lessons she still applies to her daily life.
“When it comes to the world of television, sometimes all it takes is one nasty viewer call or comment to send you spiraling,” Kruger emphasized. “I have a licensed professional counselor I talk to every other week. You can't keep the negative energy pent up.”
She admires the friends she made at Episcopal for helping steer her in a positive direction following Hurricane Ian. “Friends like Sarah Wood ’03, Sally Flynt ’03, Sissie Strope ’04, and there are so many more that I could text at any time,” she said. “Episcopal gave us a great group of friends. It was life changing and I am so blessed to have that kind of support.”
“Meteorology is rooted in math and science, so I knew I needed a good calculus foundation,” Kruger said. “That’s where Mr. Rick Stubbs came in. He was integral in my Calculus AB journey.”
After graduating from Episcopal, Kruger obtained both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Meteorology from Florida State University and Pennsylvania State University respectively. She has lived across the Midwest and East Coast reporting the weather in southern Illinois, Charlotte, Atlanta, and currently southwest Florida. She's certified by the American Meteorological Society, a designation of professional distinction and recognition.
Kruger met her husband, Ryan, while they worked at the same news station in Illinois. They moved to Atlanta and had two boys, Kenneth (6) and Shade (3). “I have two Emmys, but my proudest accomplishment is being able to juggle a family and this life,” she said. “Being in television and working in news is a lifestyle; it is not a nine to five. Figuring out work-life balance has been difficult but rewarding.”
As she continues to excel in a male-dominated field, Kruger touched on some of the misogynistic commentary she has personally received on social media — phrases like “weather girl” and “weather bunny.” “It is derogatory,” she explained. “I’m one of two who hold a Master of Science in the whole market. People also love to talk about what female meteorologists are wearing. I work extra hard so they focus on what I’m saying.”
Kruger hopes she will achieve her personal goals of educating others about the danger of severe weather. An occurrence that is becoming more common for her as she navigates a world of increasingly extreme temperature shifts. “My goal is to educate when it comes to climate change, even though it is highly politicized,” she expressed. “We can’t contribute one particular weather phenomenon or one event to climate change, but we can cite the Arctic ice and the jet stream as the main contributors to dangerous weather changes. That’s what I want to convey to people.”
Kruger considers herself, and all news personnel, “public servants” and finds joy in the gratitude of her viewers. Serving the southwest Florida market on WFTX-Fox4, she was the lead meteorologist reporting on Hurricane Ian. She worked 18-hour shifts while her own home took on significant damage.
“Enduring an event like Ian,” she reminisced about the storm that took the lives of 149 people, 72 in her home base of Lee County alone, “I was not okay. My own family took on major damage and was without power for eight days, but viewers were still thanking me and showing gratitude for staying with them on air and getting them through a Category 4 storm.”
The lessons Kruger learned at Episcopal helped her become the person and meteorologist she is today. After the devastating loss of her father her junior year, Kruger praised EHS for helping her navigate her mental health journey from a young age — lessons she still applies to her daily life.
“When it comes to the world of television, sometimes all it takes is one nasty viewer call or comment to send you spiraling,” Kruger emphasized. “I have a licensed professional counselor I talk to every other week. You can't keep the negative energy pent up.”
She admires the friends she made at Episcopal for helping steer her in a positive direction following Hurricane Ian. “Friends like Sarah Wood ’03, Sally Flynt ’03, Sissie Strope ’04, and there are so many more that I could text at any time,” she said. “Episcopal gave us a great group of friends. It was life changing and I am so blessed to have that kind of support.”
