My name is Hannah Bruce, and I grew up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, playing soccer and basketball and running track and field. Our family was huge into sports — my mom played basketball, and my dad played soccer growing up. Thus, my siblings and I started playing sports at an early age. My parents divorced when I was quite young, so I lived with my mom, older sister, and younger brother. I spent a lot of time with my sister, as we played on the same soccer team every other year.

I loved soccer and started playing year-round instead of just during the summer. At that time, I improved a lot, and that’s how soccer became my No. 1 sport of focus. Gradually, I was recruited to try out for more advanced, high-level teams, such as the provincial team, Nova Scotia, and Team Atlantic, which was an all-star team made up of the four Atlantic provinces. My dream, though, was to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division I, if possible. I knew that there was potential for me to achieve my dream in the United States. Since they put a lot of money into sports compared to Canada, the U.S. had good athletic facilities and coaches.

My family encouraged me to look for opportunities in Utah, as my mom, sister, and other family members went to Brigham Young University (BYU). I ended up reaching out to Utah Valley University (UVU) and went on a tour. I was not sure I even wanted to go to UVU or be in Utah to begin with, but I decided to visit the campus and meet the coaches. Brent Anderson and Alyssa Lowry, head coach and assistant coach at the time, were both amazing. The girls on the team and the campus were amazing, too. I thought, I want to go here. Following my visit, I participated in a showcase event in San Diego and, after seeing me play, UVU extended me an official offer —I was excited.

As far as soccer goes, my first year was all about growth. I was learning and trying to earn playing time. At one point that year, Brent left to be an assistant coach at BYU, and we got a new coach in the spring named Chris Lemay. It was nerve-wracking because I had to spend the whole season preparing myself just to have the coach who recruited me leave and a new coach come in. I hoped I would be able to develop a relationship with Chris like the one I had with Brent. When he came in, he was great. He made a huge difference on the team, and we all loved him.   

The most memorable experience for me happened in the fall of my sophomore year. We competed in and won the Western Athletic Conference Championship. My position on the field was left-back, and I got to start. That year, we also played Stanford, which was so much fun even though they beat us.

In my senior year, I had the opportunity to be team captain. We had a heartbreaker against Seattle in overtime of the final. Even though we did not win, we had a great season. Having the opportunity throughout my junior and senior seasons to be a leader and team captain helped me grow a lot. I was also involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participated in different leadership conferences in Florida and San Diego.

In my three and a half years at UVU, apart from playing soccer, I was able to get involved off the field and explore my interests. I studied psychology and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. I cultivated meaningful relationships with professors, served as a teaching assistant, and became involved in the Black Student Union on campus. UVU provided me with opportunities that helped me grow personally and professionally.

In my senior year, I studied for and took the LSAT. I was super close to attending either BYU or the University of Utah law schools since I got accepted to both. But my mom messaged me one day about how her colleague said I should apply for the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, which I had never previously heard about.

Without any expectations or intentions of getting in, I applied for the scholarship to study neuroscience. I know many applicants spend four years preparing to apply for this, so when I became a finalist, I was surprised and excited. Even with the chance I had to go to law school, I thought that the opportunity to move to the United Kingdom and pursue a master’s at Oxford was something I could not pass up.

My time at Oxford has been amazing. Now that I am almost done with my master’s, I do not know what I will do next. I could go to law school like I originally planned, go for a Ph.D., or even travel for a year. I am also considering signing another professional soccer contract in Portugal and playing there. My visa in the U.K. is valid for a couple of years, so I could even get a job in London, potentially within the world of athletic relations.  

What I know for sure is that I have had so many incredible experiences since choosing to attend UVU. UVU is full of people who care about the students and can direct them to opportunities. Be willing to take advantage of those opportunities because they are there for the taking!

Going to UVU was the best four years of my life. I loved every minute of it.