Patrick Alvarez '22 Sport Management
Patrick Alvarez’s ‘22 first word was “ball” in Finnish; after that, his passion for soccer carried him from his birthplace in Finland to Toronto and ultimately to Malone for his education in sports management. Alvarez was scouted at a soccer showcase in Canada by the Malone men’s soccer coach during his freshman year and has found a family in his team.
“I immediately clicked with the coaching staff and the players and saw a home here,” Alvarez said. “I’ve stayed because of my teammates. We’re all brothers.”
In addition to the team, Malone offered helpful athletic and academic scholarships in combination with his international financial aid package. The financial feasibility of a Malone education and the personal learning experience he noticed upon visiting both aligned with the college search factors that Alvarez highly valued.
“I like the smaller school setting; I can talk to professors and they know who I am,” he said. “The professor-student relationship makes it easier to learn and easier to build connections.”
It was jarring to move his whole life from Canada to Canton; exchange rates, political wars, and living six hours away from his family felt difficult. Even so, Alvarez enjoys living with four of his teammates and staying involved on campus.
“I’m the captain of the men’s soccer team, a coach for McKinley High School soccer, the events coordinator on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and I work for AVI in the Caf,” Alvarez said. “I like being active so I can make good use of my time.”
His coaches and professors have played a large role in connecting Alvarez with jobs and internships that are available to him as an international student. He has done an internship with the Canton City Soccer Club as a coach and with the Outpost Concert Club doing social media marketing.
Alvarez wants to play professional soccer, though he knows the odds are uncertain. If it doesn’t work out, he plans to continue his education and pursue a career in sports management.
“I want to be a graduate assistant and coach at a university level while getting my master’s in sports management,” Alvarez said. “Eventually, I want to go to law school and become a scout, agent, manager, or president of a soccer club in North America or Europe.”
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