International Student Finds Home Away From Home on the Hill

Jack Wardale (’17) picked Seton Hill University without ever stepping foot on campus.

“The admissions counselor, the international student liaison, Coach McCarty - everyone I came into contact with - cared. So, without making a trip to visit campus, I took a leap of faith at 18 to continue my education at Seton Hill and have never looked back.”

An international student from Norfolk, Great Britain, Jack found comfort in the small-campus community at Seton Hill, as well as his teammates on the men’s soccer team.

"I was very fortunate to be a part of a team where academics and athletics held equal importance, and an environment where we all kept each other accountable.”

“My teammates became my brothers, and I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to play alongside people who really bought into that ‘family’ culture.”

Jack earned a bachelor of science in biology with a minor in psychology from Seton Hill in 2017. On campus, Jack was a student ambassador, held work-study jobs in the Student Engagement Office and the Multicultural and International Services Office and tutored three different subjects – all while balancing being a college athlete. 

“Achieving academic success in both my undergraduate and graduate studies is something that I am extremely proud of, and it’s a testament to how student-athletes are valued at Seton Hill. I was very fortunate to be a part of a team where academics and athletics held equal importance, and an environment where we all kept each other accountable.”

Currently, Jack is pursuing an MBA in management while working as a graduate assistant in Seton Hill’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. He enjoys having the opportunity to be a part of a student’s college decision process, as he was once in their shoes and found his place here on The Hill. 

“Being a small school, and with the community spirit we possess, it immediately makes you feel at home.” 

Jack has just completed his sixth and final season with the Griffins soccer team and plans to continue his education in the hopes of obtaining his Ph.D. in psychology.