Josephine Emanuelli
Greg Swenson (‘18) is a history and economics double major on the men’s soccer and lacrosse teams. He plays defense on the soccer team and scored the game winning goal in overtime against TCNJ, the first goal of his collegiate career.
Swenson first stumbled upon Drew by chance, as his older brother’s friend was a student here. When he visited, he enjoyed the atmosphere and community that Drew offered, and Coach Leanos was able to convince him that Drew was the right place for him. On top of playing two sports, Swenson is actively involved on campus, working as a tour guide as well as in the athletic training room and serving as a member of the Senior Class Committee.
He is very interested in the American Civil War. His fascination with the subject began when he visited the Battlefields of Gettysburg. Swenson has not only spent time in the United States learning about history, but he also spent three weeks in Saint Petersburg, Russia this past summer learning about the history and culture of the city and country. He describes the experience as a privilege, saying, “especially with how relations are between the United States and Russia, to be in the country and see no hostilities towards foreigners was refreshing. I highly encourage any student to study abroad because it opens your eyes to a new world. And if you need any tips on Russia, I will be happy to guide you in the right direction!”
Regarding athletics, Swenson is slightly taken aback at how well the team has been doing. The team graduated many of their starters last year, but the players they have to fill in their roles have been stepping up, and the number of goals the team has been scoring is unprecedented. Following their win over NYU on Wednesday, Swenson says, “I am confident now we can continue our form and keep our energy high for the rest of the season.” Part of their strong start to the season comes from the players’ communication on the field. All the players have been going into games with very high energy, leading to a higher level of play that he thinks their opponents have struggled to match. Swenson also believes the players have been getting better and better every game they play, and they have all been pushing each other every day in practice to make the team better. He hopes to see both soccer and lacrosse win Landmark Championships and earn a spot in NCAA playoffs this year. He trusts that a successful post-season will help both programs greatly, helping to bring them to the next level., Despite having gone through three years of this already, Swenson is still challenged with budgeting his time, balancing between his outside activities, school, sports and personal time. He considers being a student athlete another job.
Swenson has some parting words for the campus community, reflecting on his past three years here. The advice he has to offer is “just be yourself and stay positive. It is easy to get caught up in all the negative things we deal with on a daily basis. Do not be afraid of what other people think and if there is something new you want to try, do it. College is a great place to discover your true self.”
Want to learn more? Catch Swenson and his teammates in their next home game on Wednesday, October 4 at 7pm against Landmark Conference opponent the University of Scranton.
