In the summer of 2020, as a student athlete faced with a life-altering decision of choosing between colleges in a country I had never lived in, I had to make a list of priorities of what I was looking for in the place I would call home for the next four years. Not knowing anyone from the U.S. meant I had limited insight and understanding of the university system, and instead, I had to rely on intuition.
I distilled my priorities down to what I saw as essential. These ranged from the quality of the soccer program to academic excellence to whether the campus was navigable without a car. Other important factors included whether the campus aligned with my political and moral beliefs, and whether the campus was diverse with people from a multitude of backgrounds. A few schools ticked these boxes, but ultimately, Harvard seemed like the best fit. One of the factors that set it apart was the number of international students within the soccer team.
From August 2022 to the three years that have followed, I have had the privilege of playing alongside athletes from across the globe. Although many of our peers seek out professional contracts straight out of high school, we all choose to commit to this four-year program to bring our athletic experiences to Harvard, often drawn in by the opportunity to learn and compete at the highest level. These experiences range from World Cups to the Olympics to European Championships, bringing some of the top young talent from around the world to represent the Crimson. Who would not want the opportunity to play with such teammates?
As the largest varsity athletics department in the country, Harvard Athletics has a history of attracting talent from around the globe to each of its 42 sports teams. The contributions of these international talents do not stop at the field; we also contribute to the greater Harvard community as ambitious researchers, leaders of student organizations, and performers. Although most players who come through our program initially aim to play professionally, the opportunity to attend and represent Harvard sets us up for multiple directions of success after our athletic careers.
College, and Harvard in particular, is known to be a space to foster personal growth. For many athletes coming into college, we view being an athlete as an identity that defines us. It is where some of our first memories were forged, where we experienced some of our highest highs, but also many of our heartbreaking lows.
Coming to college presents a chance to expand beyond athletics and lean into other communities on campus, thanks to a plethora of student organizations and initiatives. Surrounded by people with diverse backgrounds and beliefs, but also an opportunity to be exposed to different viewpoints, many cite university and early adulthood as a time they realize who they are and who they want to be.
Prior to 2025, I did not identify with international students. Although I travel from abroad each semester and had only visited the U.S. once before committing to the university, I was privileged that this status had little impact on my day-to-day life. Coming from England, a country with comparatively limited cultural differences contributed to this ease of transition to the U.S. Additionally, I only viewed being an international student as a temporary identity, with no long-term plans to stay in the country. For these reasons, I chose to invest more in other communities — such as cultural and academic groups —- that I saw as more defining for my time at Harvard.
On Nov. 15, 2024, I decided to spend my first summer in America and pursue a summer internship. I could not have foreseen how drastically things took a turn during the summer. I could not have foreseen the fear, stress, and concern that would overwhelm me, my friends, and my family in the months to come.
On May 22, 2025, when the initial announcement was made stating that the government was revoking Harvard’s ability to host international students, I was visiting a fellow international student in Canada and had been outside for most of the day. Without data, I connected to a public Wifi network to check notifications. I was quickly inundated with a slew of texts asking “Are you ok?” and commenting “Omg so scary.” I received texts with links to contradicting news articles, and missed phone calls from my coaches and family. In the hours that followed, anxiety and concern set in, and the once concrete plans to reenter the U.S. for my internship in a four days’ time became increasingly uncertain.
In the days and weeks that followed, the confusion was overwhelming. Was I going to be able to graduate? Was I going to have to transfer schools or return home? When would the next time be where I could see friends who had become family? Nevertheless, as the situation slowly stabilized, and Harvard mounted multiple legal actions against the administration, an unexpected sense of gratitude began to emerge for me. The entire situation reinforced to me how privileged I was in my individual circumstances. After each new announcement from the Oval Office, I would run through the worst-case scenarios in my head. Yet, I would arrive at a point of reassurance: Despite the potential for significant short-term pain, I had the opportunity to return to a safe home, pursue my education, and build my athletic career elsewhere. Not everyone has this option.
As with many times in my life, I felt that sports offered me a sense of security. With the continuous growth of women’s sports globally, I felt that if a door shut for me here at Harvard, I would still have a career and passion I could continue to foster.
This summer also represented the first time that “international student” rose to the forefront of my identity. When introducing myself to other interns and colleagues, I did not lead my introduction with how I was a senior, a student athlete, or a government and psychology student at Harvard. Instead, I introduced myself as an international student at Harvard — a label that I believed best contextualised my headspace and experiences over the past few months.
However, while I do not feel this identity shift was positive or negative in of itself, I do feel like it was imposed upon me, and it is now encapsulating my Harvard experience.
While I often felt overwhelmed by the countless reporters from international news outlets reaching out to me day after day, it was also perhaps the most reassuring thing, because all eyes were on us. Though our pain and fear were being held up under a microscope for the world to see, I felt more protected. However, an even more terrifying reality to me is injustice taking place away from the spotlight.
These reflections instilled further empathy in me for the thousands of students, families, and others who, like me, entered this country with hopes of pursuing opportunities. Instead, they have been threatened and served with devastating injustices.
These constantly-changing circumstances have left me questioning what I want to prioritize in my life going forward, at Harvard and beyond. It has had implications on how I feel I can stand up for what I believe in, and how this will impact my future opportunities. In turn, it has also forced me to reflect on the value of this college degree, and what I am willing to compromise to pursue it.
When I was originally accepted into Harvard, I thought this would be one of the greatest privileges one could have. I still hold this belief; however, this year has highlighted the value of communities that offer security and belonging. In the same way my athletic community has shown unity and support throughout this situation, I hope people at Harvard can continue to show empathy, care and respect for their peers.
