Soccer, Scholarship, and Stories: Gwendolyn Oxenham

By: Maggie Marshall, EC Scholar and Honors College Freshman

The following is a reflection from the Honors College Leadership Lecture featuring Gwendolyn Oxenham.

The word that comes to mind when I think of Gwendolyn Oxenham is “courage.” It wasn’t enough that she was the youngest Division I athlete in NCAA history or a starter and lead goal-scorer at Duke University. Most people would feel pretty accomplished and content with this, but she was not satisfied with living off of past achievements for the rest of her life after graduation.

She felt like there was so much more to soccer and that she almost owed the sport for providing her with so much, so she put herself out there and ended up traveling the world in search of pickup games of soccer. After receiving a grant to make a documentary film on the sport and how it is incorporated into other cultures, she packed up her bags and began a journey that would not only impact her entire life, but also those like me who are inspired by her story. She was able to find the sport in its rawest form in back alleys, side streets, and rural fields all across the globe.

I have played soccer from a young age, so having a soccer legend like her in front of me was huge in itself. However, I got so much more out of talking to her than old soccer game stories from college–I was provided with inspiration and excitement for all the world has to offer. She helped to remind us that there is so much more going on than we realize, and sometimes we have to remember to step out of our little bubble here on a college campus. Gwendolyn showed us that having dreams is great, but they do not mean anything if we don’t find some courage to make sure they happen. This definitely applies to students here in the Honors College. I know we all have dreams, so we should keep her in mind the next time a goal seems unattainable.