Scholar Stories: Chilean Footballer Cerda Learning From Life's Challenges
10/25/2017 9:57:00 AM | Men's Soccer, Features
Continuing the popular series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Ivo Cerda isn't one to back down from a challenge. His class schedule for this fall semester is a prime example:
Bio 255: Human & Animal Physiology
Bio 305: Genetics
Chem 211: Investigations in Chemistry
Physics 140: General Physics
Physics 141: Elementary Physics Lab
It's a difficult slate, but Cerda makes it look easy. A year-and-a-half ago, toward the end of his freshman season as a member of the University of Michigan men's soccer team, he was the 2015-16 Rookie of the Year for the entire athletic department -- an award given to one male and one female who have excelled both academically and athletically.
As for today, let's just say he's still excelling and his grades prove it.
"It's all about passion for me," said Cerda, now a junior. "I don't see studying as a chore. If I can use my time well and learn more, why not?"
When he first arrived here from his home in Santiago, Chile, he sought out the toughest classes. Never mind that he was thousands of miles from home for the first time. Or that he was speaking English more than Spanish. Or that he was trying to find his way on a new team.
Initially, Cerda was sure he'd never go to college. He was always smart, getting that from parents -- his mother, Nadefhka, a psychologist, and his father, Hector, an economist. But the allure of playing soccer all day, every day was too strong.
After he finished up high school, Cerda spent a year-and-a-half playing with the first team at Universidad Católica Football Club. Instead of enrolling in classes, Cerda kept busy by reading books on the side. While his buddies played video games or slept between training sessions, he educated himself.
At the urging of his parents, he took an opportunity with 2SV Academy and went to the Disney Showcase in Florida. At the end of the five-day event, colleges were lining up to recruit him, including Michigan.
"I remember making my official visit right after that tournament," he said. "I absolutely fell in love with everything -- the buildings, the culture, even the colors of the university. I honestly couldn't believe it. It put everything into balance."
Cerda is getting his undergraduate degree in cellular and molecular biology with the dream of one day becoming a doctor. He plans to pursue a professional career after the 2018 season, but if that doesn't pan out he can get his master's degree in less than a year because -- wouldn't you know it -- he's already fulfilled many of the pre-requisites. Then medical school.
"When thinking of the human body, everything is shaped so perfectly. The biological mechanisms make sense," he explained. "I always thought, 'Wow, all these parts are working together in such a perfect way.' I wanted to know everything about it and use that knowledge to help people. That's my whole purpose."
After the season ends, Cerda wants to get involved in a research lab on campus. One of the areas he's looking at is in injury biomechanics, which specializes in 3D modeling of the brain. Such a path brings together everything he's interested in: neurology, technology, the brain and the nervous system.
On the field, Cerda has helped drive the team's turnaround through leadership. He is one of three captains and can almost always be seen clapping, pumping up and encouraging his teammates.
Becoming a leader isn't without its challenges. But just like everything else in his life, he's not shied away from getting better.
"It's a great honor, but it's also a big responsibility," he said. "You need that guy to motivate others who might've made mistakes to say, 'Let's go and get the next one!' I'm really passionate in everything that I do and I try to let that rub off on my teammates. We have a great group of guys. You can see in the results. I think that starts with leadership."
One of the things that makes the University of Michigan stand out amongst its peers is its ability to attract top students from all corners of the globe. On the men's soccer team alone, Cerda shares the field with Canadians, Ghanaians, Englishmen and Americans.
If he stayed in Chile, chances are he'd still be neck-deep in books while thinking about his next goal on the pitch. Here, he gets to do both.
"Coming here, it's been a blessing," he said. "Michigan has provided me the opportunity to become a better person. I'm going to try and make the most out of it. That means taking harder classes, challenging myself, learning from other students and faculty. Those things, to me, are important."
