“You would be surprised, but I love the snow. Of course, I get tired of walking and it is too cold sometimes. But, coming from a warm weather country, living in the heat my whole life, I was tired of it. Coming to the snow and feeling the cold is like a relief for me. Of course, I love wearing shorts and sandals, but I also like the snow, having a jacket, all that stuff.
“I’ve been living here up in New York for the last three years, since 2021. I did my sophomore, junior, and half of my senior year in Western New York at IHC. I was there until there was an accident. Not really an accident, but basically, we ran out of funds. We didn’t have enough money to keep the program going, so it was closed.
“I chose to come to Northwood because I already knew the coach and some people here. So, I knew it would be a good place for me. Second, it was the best option for me if I wanted to continue my academic and soccer career.
“Once the accident happened at IHC, we had three options. One is that we could stay there but without soccer. Second, we could go back to our countries, but that was basically saying goodbye to any chance of playing in college. The other option was to transfer.”
“My life here is very different from when I was in Ecuador. When I’m here, I revolve around soccer and my studies. It’s just all practice, studies, and a little free time. But even in your free time, you still think about practice or some games on the weekend. Then, when I’m home, I can relax more since I do not have classes. I try to practice for 2 hours a day, a few days a week. But that’s not the most important thing for me. The most important things for me when I’m home are my family and my friends, my grandparents, my siblings. Going to the beach or my friend’s house, I’m more relaxed.
“A piece of advice I’d give to a new kid coming to Northwood would be don’t be afraid of talking to new people. People here are very nice, so don’t be afraid of talking to new people.”
As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo provided.
