A Degree 10 Years in the Making
For Portland Timbers defender Zarek Valentin, it was never a matter of if he would finish his degree, but when.
In just three semesters at the University of Akron, he helped lead the Zips to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, where they ultimately captured the school's first National Championship title in 2010. After two successful seasons, Valentin elected to leave the university, becoming a part of the Zips' impressive draft class that included teammates Perry Kitchen and Darlington Nagbe. He went on to sign a Generation Adidas contract and was drafted fourth overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Chivas USA.
Ultimately, Valentin was selected by Montreal in the Expansion Draft, and spent the 2012 season with the Impact before going international and joining FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway for two years. In 2016, he was traded by Montreal to Portland, and is preparing for his fourth season with the Timbers.
This past December, Valentin graduated from Akron with a B.S. in Organizational Supervision after working for nearly ten years to finish his degree. He shared his story of persevering through an academic journey that spanned three different countries and why it was so important to him to graduate. ...