Novy Goetgeluk '25
"Bryn Mawr created an environment for me where finding my confidence and leadership on the field also meant finding confidence and leadership in the classroom."
"Bryn Mawr created an environment for me where finding my confidence and leadership on the field also meant finding confidence and leadership in the classroom."
Hi, I’m Novy Goetgeluk! I’m a senior Psychology major here at Bryn Mawr and I’m excited to tell you a little bit about my Bryn Mawr experience! I’m an international student from the Netherlands and have always known I wanted to play field hockey for a college in America. What I didn’t know was where I wanted to do it. Colleges came on my radar through coaches reaching out and Bryn Mawr came up near the end of my search. I had initially written it off because I wasn’t sure what a women’s college would entail since we don’t have those types of academic institutions in the Netherlands. However, my mom told me she really wanted me to go visit because she “had a feeling that [she] just couldn’t put into words” and “a visit wouldn’t hurt.” After convincing me, like any mom does, I went to visit and as soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew I was home. There is simply no other way to describe it. I felt super welcomed by the people I met and could totally picture myself walking down Merion Green to my classes every day and living in one of the beautiful castle-like dorms on campus. The decision to go here turned out to be surprisingly easy—Bryn Mawr had everything I was looking for: great academics, a lively college town close to a big city, a great Psychology faculty, and a supportive, active, and engaged community.
During my four years here at Bryn Mawr, athletics has also been a central part of my experience. When looking at different schools and different field hockey programs, the thing that stood out to me the most was Bryn Mawr’s field hockey history and dedication to growth. At the time, the field hockey program was still in its growing stages and I knew I wanted to be a part of that building process. Over the past four years we have repeatedly made history as a field hockey program with endless accomplishments that I am beyond proud of. I’m obviously proud of the statistical accomplishments I have gotten to be a part of such as being the first Bryn Mawr team to make it to a Centennial Conference play-off game, make it to the conference finals, secure the highest national ranking for any Bryn Mawr team ever, and have the most nationally ranked wins in program history. But I’m most proud of the personal and individual growth I have witnessed in myself and my teammates and peers. Bryn Mawr created an environment for me where finding my confidence and leadership on the field also meant finding confidence and leadership in the classroom. I’ve grown exponentially in both areas which I’m extremely grateful for and I know that I will put both to great use for my dream career in sports psychology.
Being part of the Bryn Mawr community has given me memories I will truly never forget and that still give me goosebumps when I think about them. Like our play-off game against Haverford in the fall of 2023, where we had so many students and staff come out to support us that the entire sidelines were filled up and you could hear their cheers all the way on the other side of campus. Moments like these really reflect the power of a women’s college to me and the moments in which I have felt most grateful for being here. I felt like everyone came there to support us and say “I got you” and I truly felt like part of something bigger. With the support of the College and its community, our team has been able to show that excellent academics can most definitely co-exist with excellent athletics; this is a powerful message I know will continue to be spread by the school and that I take great pride in having contributed to.
My Bryn Mawr experience has taught me lessons that I will forever be grateful for and carry with me. Here at Bryn Mawr, I have not only come to discover my passions for working in sports and helping people, but I have also found the skills needed to be successful in those fields. I have found confidence in my leadership abilities through trial and error, and through supportive networks where making a mistake is met with grace and forgiveness, something that was truly very new to me. This coming May I will be leaving Bryn Mawr knowing I made the right decision coming here and knowing I will have a supportive and empowering network of strong women by my side for the rest of my life. And my mom gets to say the thing that all moms dream of saying to their kid: “I told you so.”
