FORT COLLINS - Prudence M. Kaley, a 1972 graduate of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, received the College of Applied Human Sciences Honor Alumna Award from the Colorado State University Alumni Association. Below is a tribute to Kaley from the Alumni Association.
“Turning challenging and stressful situations into manageable conditions are just a few of Prue Kaley’s talents and strengths. Ms. Kaley attributes her real estate success to her amazing life and the knowledge she gathered while attending Colorado State University.
“Ms. Kaley has been in real estate for 31+ years and as a partner with TheGroup, Inc., Real Estate for 28 years. Not a person to rest on her accomplishments, Ms. Kaley continues to use her skills to enhance the real estate investment market in Northern Colorado. In 2003, Ms. Kaley co-founded NorthernColoradoRentals.com, an Internet based advertising site that connects landlords and renters.
“Prue Kaley is married to the love of her life, Mark Goldrich, who is a partner at TheGroup, Inc., Real Estate. Together, the couple funds two Colorado State University scholarships. They have three children, Shelly, Brian, and Kaley Anna, as well as two grandchildren, Bryce and Emma Leigh.”
The following article about Kaley appeared in the 2007 College of Applied Human Sciences Inspirations Magazine with other stories about loyalty, generosity, and connections.
Prue Kaley’s ‘Training’ Brings Out the Human Side of House Hunting
Prue Kaley ’72 says that people ask her how her degree in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) fits with her profession as a real estate agent. For Prue, it’s a perfect match.
“I use my degree every day. I’m counseling people through the sometimes stressful process of buying or selling a home,” she said. Often there is a change in a family situation such as a marriage, divorce, new baby, blended families, retirement, or job change that means a bigger or smaller house.
“For all of us, choosing a place to live and buying or selling a house is one of the most important decisions we make in our lives. My degree from CSU taught me to be a good listener. I use the excellent skills I was taught in the program to understand, listen, and focus on people’s needs. It’s not about me, it’s about them.”
As a successful real estate agent with The Group in Fort Collins for 27 years, Prue has been a leader in the community. She is also an entrepreneur, starting up NorthernColoradoRentals.com in 2003, which has proven to be a successful venture for her and a valuable resource for prospective renters. She supports many charities and non-profit organizations both as a volunteer and through her financial donations.
Since 2001, she has donated $1,972 annually to commemorate the year she graduated and to support a graduate student in HDFS. Prue says, “I always thought I would go back to school to get my Master’s, but I needed to work first and save up some money. I never fulfilled that dream, but what I didn’t do, I can now support somebody else to achieve with this scholarship.”
Prue has inspired her husband Mark Goldrich, also a real estate agent with The Group, to support CSU and the College of Applied Human Sciences as well. Mark sponsors a graduate scholarship in Construction Management. Mark and Prue recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.
As a teenager, Prue came from New Jersey to attend CSU without knowing a soul. She thinks of the University as her second home. She says, “I did a lot of growing up at Colorado State – it was my first experience away from home. It was a safe, warm, and loving environment to be in.”
She cites Professor Sally Sims Haxton as one of her inspirations. “One of my friends at the sorority house had her for a class and I used to go and sit in on her classes. She was a wonderful, passionate person. She’s the one who taught me to be passionate about what you do.”
In full circle, Prue has proven to be a welcoming voice for new department head Lise Youngblade. Lise says, “Inspiration is a word that comes to mind when one thinks about Prue Kaley. She is a role model in the best sense – a distinguished professional who demonstrates excellence and who makes a difference in our community. Prue Kaley is an alumna of distinction. I am very proud to know that she is a graduate of Human Development and Family Studies.”
Last fall Prue and Mark invited 35 children of the Department’s Early Childhood Center to visit their home where they have transformed a large portion of their yard to a wonderland full of miniature houses, scenes, and vistas all connected by model trains.
“The children had an amazing visit,” said Lise. “They got to watch the trains come ’round the bend and greeted ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ with squeals of delight. Prue and Mark organized a wonderful scavenger hunt for the children and, after a morning filled with trains and a delicious pizza lunch, waved goodbye to some very tired but extremely happy children. I know this adventure will stay in their memories for a long time – we still are hearing the ‘chug-a-chug-a-toot toot’ in the hallways!”
click here for more Featured News
