The 2023 Senior Perspectives is the 18th in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Harvard.
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Hometown: Hanover, Germany
Sport: Women's Soccer
Concentration: Psychology
House: Quincy
To be honest, I've only been out of college for roughly five months. In no way am I wise enough to fully understand the importance and defining strength of my college experience. But there are some worthwhile reflections I can already make.
The soccer world can be cold and isolating. I graduated in December and began my long-awaited professional career in Belgium. As much as making my hobby into my job has been fulfilling and privileged, the reality is far from ideal. I've seen teammates juggle two full-time jobs at the same time, witnessed exploitation, and experienced managers place their business interests ahead of protecting their players. These incidents have renewed my drive to push for better conditions in sports. While women's soccer may have come a long way, there is still a very rocky road ahead. And I will help build it.
But I wasn't always this dedicated to the fight for equality. The people I've been around the last four and half years have shaped my passions and perspectives. Looking back, I am nowhere near the same person that entered this program. In a good way, of course. Harvard tests and bends and reshapes you – if you lean into that change. My friends and teammates have been the most transformational for me – some I will continue to talk to every day, others I am no longer in contact with. Some of them have been on endless Facetime calls with me during the darkest pandemic times while others gave me some of my favorite nicknames. Many of them I have shared the biggest game moments with and a few kept nudging me toward therapy for a year until I started going. I belittled the latest bunch as my 'kids', when really, they were the ones that I needed most to help me feel seen and loved. I know that each and every one of them has taught me something about the world and myself. Many parts of my identity will always be tied to this place and these people. And I couldn't be prouder of who I have become because of them.
However, I also know that my experience in this program is not universal and that many of the same inequalities that exist in this world are also reflected in the bubble that is Harvard. I recognize that many are not afforded my luxury and largely positive journey here. And precisely that is why I understand my responsibility to invest in the future generations of athletes – by putting queer, female, non-binary, and transgender athletes of color in safe and supportive places, they can be granted the power to lay the cornerstones of a just society.
