GONZALO BARCELO Playing tennis since he was six years old, Gonzalo was recruited from his hometown of San Pedro, Argentina, to come to KU on an athletic scholarship in Spring 2021. “My first semester was tough. I was starting from scratch, and I was challenged by the language barrier, adjusting to the weather and learning the campus, and getting used to leaving my family and friends. The Men’s Tennis team helped me through it all.” Within his first year, he found his own Golden Bear family. MEN’S TENNIS Since his freshman year, Gonzalo has held the number one spot in singles and doubles matches. One of the biggest challenges for him was the competitive nature of a Division II team. “Tennis is an individual sport. Coming to KU, I had to learn to play for a team. My teammates not only were competing against me, but they also were cheering for me.” Gonzalo is busy throughout the semester balancing his athletics and academics. “I have responsibilities inside and outside the court. During the season, I am on the court two hours a day, and training two hours a week. I also have work outside of the court that people do not see.” FINANCIAL PLANNING Gonzalo has always been interested in economics, and when he decided to come to KU, he declared finance as his major. When he took a personal financial planning course, it convinced him to add the second major. Gonzalo’s advisor, retired professor Dr. John Walker, suggested he add a business analytics minor to his coursework. “It was challenging fitting all those courses into three years, but it opened so many doors. Dr. Walker has helped me so much.” Gonzalo’s connections led to an opportunity with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at KU, where he works as a finance intern. In his role, Gonzalo works to conduct business analyses, maintain records, and collect data. FUTURE ASPIRATIONS During his time at KU, Gonzalo has experienced many industries through his coursework, internships, and athletics. Although he is not sure where he will work, he is determined to find opportunities to give back to his family. After graduation, Gonzalo will attend Villanova University, where he is pursuing his master’s in finance. “Life surprises me every year and coming to KU was the best decision I ever made.” SPRING 2024 | 19
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