This fall, Omar Anwar \u201922 is playing MIAC soccer for the first time in nearly two years, and you can imagine the midfielder\u2019s jumble of excitement, nerves, and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s waited a long time for competition to resume after making an immediate impact in Mac\u2019s soccer program early on, starting 14 games his first year and logging more than 1,000 minutes on the field as a sophomore. Anwar\u2019s game-day routine is back: wearing his soccer polo to class, keeping his AirPods close for pump-up music from A Boogie and Lil TJay, watching game clips of Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, and fueling up with a pre-game meal of salad, pasta, and lots of Gatorade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The routine is methodical now, but Anwar is candid that his Macalester journey hasn\u2019t always been so smooth. \u201cWhen I came in freshman year, I was very, very disorganized,\u201d says Anwar (St. Paul). \u201cI pulled nine or ten all-nighters in my first year that were just unnecessary; I would back myself into holes. I had to learn to be organized and accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he traded all-nighters for morning study sessions, Anwar found plenty of support from his teammates and coaching staff. \u201cPart of our culture we\u2019ve established as a program is that we\u2019re going to do well in the classroom,\u201d he says. \u201cI always had resources from the older guys: What classes should I take? Where can I get these textbooks? What\u2019s the best way to study? That was huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Anwar found another home in the Economics Department, especially in an investment banking course with Professor Joyce Minor \u201988 that proved pivotal for his path. This past summer, Anwar interned in New York City with Piper Sandler, and saw quickly how his coursework had prepared him for projects at the investment banking firm. \u201cMore than anything, Macalester taught me how to think critically,\u201d he says. \u201cInstead of feeling daunted by a problem, Mac has given me the ability to attack it head-on, break it down into multiple steps, and work toward a solution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been a big journey already for Anwar, who returned to Minnesota with a job offer in hand and will rejoin Piper Sandler after graduation\u2014and he\u2019s feeling introspective as senior year gets underway. He knows soccer\u2019s role in his life will change after this fall. He\u2019s trying to lead by example, pass along his own lessons learned to younger teammates, and savor his time on the field for one final season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want the best for this team because it\u2019s my last chance to be on a team like this\u2014I wouldn\u2019t be where I am today without coaches and my teammates pushing me, on and off the field,\u201d he says. \u201cBeing part of this program is probably the most rewarding thing I\u2019ve done in my life so far.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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