Recently, the Carleton Ravens men’s water polo team captured the OUA Championship with a 10-9 shootout victory in overtime over the defending champions, the Toronto Varsity Blues. The only graduate student on the team, Ben Bouwer, says it was a very exciting weekend.
Says Bouwer: “Our team is made up of a great group of guys. Being surrounded by such friendly, focused and hard-working teammates makes practices and tournaments that much better. Going into the OUA championship, we were definitely the underdog, but with my team’s determination and our coach’s reliable system, we pulled out the win.”
Bouwer, who is pursuing his MA in Political Science, says that both school and waterpolo have long been major forces in his life.
“Since middle school, learning new things and competing in the water have helped me become who I am today,” shares Bouwer. “I’ve been lucky enough to be able to continue on this path at Carleton, where academic and athletic success are both celebrated.”
Re. his studies, Bouwer says his professors and other students have made his first semester in grad school most enjoyable. “All of my courses have been on such captivating topics, supported by relevant readings, and have been filled with great discussion thanks to my peers. There are just so many interesting courses that I’m currently tempted to spend my time here taking as many as possible.”
