Soep is a native of Ipswich, Massachusetts. (Photo Courtesy: Harrison Soep)
Some people pick a college based on the social life or may favor big schools for athletics. That wasn’t the case for freshman Harrison Soep, who chose Dean College because of its small size, its proximity to home, and the ability to fulfill his dream of running cross country in college. Soep began running in eighth grade and has become very passionate about it ever since. Although Soep did not enjoy the process of running at first, he quickly figured out that he was good at it.
Soep keeps himself busy when running by listening to music and playing mind games with his opponents. “I am thinking to myself just to keep pushing and it does get boring after a while. But I always tell people in a cross-country meet that the person behind you is pushing you to keep going. Meanwhile, I am pushing the guy in front to keep going. It is all a mental game,” Soep explained. Soep also constantly reminds himself to focus on pacing himself during a race by realizing it isn’t about how you start but how you finish.
When Soep first toured Dean, he instantly felt like he belonged since he attended Professor John Rooke’s summer pre-college sports broadcasting camp. Soep also knew some people who went to Dean before he even arrived.
Fast forward to Soep’s first time on campus this past fall for his freshman year, and it was nerve-racking with a lot of stress. “I think the first two weeks were hard for me because I wasn’t sure how to adjust to the schedule and the workload,” Soep said. “In high school, you have seven classes, but in college, you have only three or two classes a day and then are figuring how to balance when to do extracurricular activities and homework,” Soep continued. Soep talked about using motivation to power through with schoolwork and improving at cross country.
While Soep enjoys cross country, sports broadcasting is his main goal for when he graduates from Dean. Soep grew up watching Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy call the Red Sox on NESN. From that moment, he knew he wanted to work in sports in some capacity and enjoys giving his opinion on different sports topics.
“I just want to be a part of sports no matter what, whether it is on camera or off or writing. It has made me who I am as a person,” Soep said.
Soep can see himself one day as a talk show host but also enjoys writing and the process of working behind the scenes. Soep’s dream job right now is to work at 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston with the afternoon drive-time show Felgar and Mazz, which he has grown up listening to.
Overall, Soep has enjoyed his time at Dean as he loves attending the Dean News Network production meetings, where he has met many new friends. He also credits his advisor and academic coach for helping him have a smooth transition to college.
“It felt like the other day I was in Bulldogs Beginnings, and now here I am in the second semester, very comfortable in what I have been able to accomplish,” Soep said.
While Soep is not a fan of the English classes at Dean, he loves taking Professor Rooke’s classes as well as having Professors Gregg Seibert and Vic Michaels. “I love Vic’s sense of humor, and Gregg always loves to have fun in his classes. I learned a lot in video production from him (Gregg).”
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