2,527. 5,523. 5,545.
For student athletes Kristiján Gunnarsson ’25, Habiba Eldafrawy ’25, and Elianne Sacher ’24, these numbers are the respective mileage calculations from Cambridge to their homes in Iceland, Egypt, and Israel.
Not only are these three students capable of moving their entire lives across the world, but they also are expected to balance Harvard’s rigorous academics with the commitment of being Division 1 athletes. Embracing the United States’ foreign culture and customs only adds to the stress, yet international students make up almost a quarter of the student body.
Soccer player Gunnarsson, squash player Eldafrawy, and rugby player Sacher all reached one of the top athletic collegiate programs in the world.
Sacher explains her distinct transition from secondary school and to college. She is three years older than most of her peers. “In Israel, we serve in the military straight out of high school. I served for 3 years. I used to play rugby casually on the weekends, but eventually I became more serious. Now here I am, playing at the top collegiate Rugby team in the country.”
Eldafrawy notes that one of the hardest parts of coming to Harvard was her inability to connect with people outside of her team before entering her freshman year, having never visited campus before move-in day. “I would have liked a visit,” Eldafrawy notes. “It was hard to picture myself here, and I didn’t reach out to anyone outside of my team beforehand.” The squash team helped ease the transition by serving as an immediate, built-in friend group.
Gunnarsson had a similar experience being unable to visit campus due to the pandemic. “First time I came here it was a shock, for sure,” he said. “Coming in, I could research as much as I wanted [about the school], but it was hard to imagine real life here before coming.” Gunnarsson was shocked by the inclement Cambridge weather. He recalls sleeping on a towel on his bed for the first three weeks of school due to lack of air conditioning in dorms and waiting for a comforter to arrive.
Despite the challenges they have faced, all three students expressed that they have grown to love the campus and culture of Harvard. The College has offered them an incredible opportunity to explore stellar academics, meet people completely unlike them from across the globe, and immerse themselves in a new environment.
When asked if they’d do things differently if given a second chance, they agreed with Eldawfry: “At first, during those few couple of weeks, I yearned to be back home constantly. But now? No. I wouldn’t change a single thing. I love my life here.”
In discussing American conventions, Gunnarsson noted that Americans are “the kings and queens of small talk.” He joked that his fellow students often “never stop talking.” Sacher emphasized differences in humor: “no one around here seems to understand my sarcasm. Of course, there’s a language barrier. But my humor and sarcasm are a personal hardship. Everyone here has to learn to take things with a grain of salt. Our cultures are distinct, so that’s a hardship I’ve felt has translated into almost everything.”
Yet the athletes laughed that they themselves are becoming more “American” each day.
“Blending cultures is a beautiful thing,” said Eldafrawy. “Coming to Harvard has shaped me to be the well-rounded, experienced, and open-minded individual that I am today.”
Katrina Geiersbach ’25 (katrinageiersbach@college.harvard.edu) is a rower from Chicago and
still thinks the food back home is better than HUDS.