By Benjamin Lind
If you are any student who uses the HLC consistently, you will occasionally see Ababacar Seck, usually wearing his Western New England University Golden Bears Hat, along with his Jordan shoes. Others may know him from his previous job at the Pride across the street. Anyone who was wearing Western New England University merch would get met with a baritone voice echoing in the store with the words “WELCOME TO PRIDE” along with free beverages.
He grew up outside of Dakar, Senegal, as one of five siblings to two loving parents, Khalifa Ababacar Seck and Fatou Diop. Seck states, “Additionally, I have many half-siblings from my father’s multiple marriages, totaling around twenty siblings. Despite the challenges, the bond of family helped us persevere.”
Seck currently holds the title of Equipment and Game Operations Manager, where he runs all sports operations the school holds. He hires students to fill his staff. These workers work throughout the day, on school days or weekends, to make sure the players are prepped for practice and place the water jugs across campus for practice. During preseason, not only will the athletes be present, but Seck and his student workforce will be here before them to make sure everything is ready for the start of the new year.
Seck moved to the United States in search of a quality education. Western New England University was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. In 2021, after Seck was almost done with his associate degree at Asnuntuck Community College, he attended a college fair “where I met a representative from Western New England University. After visiting the campus, I instantly fell in love with the campus, which solidified my decision to study there,” Seck said.
In the 2022 school semester, Seck was a part of the Men’s Soccer team coaching staff, where he helped the team achieve a 10-7-4 record. Seck’s help was not just limited to the soccer side of coaching; his personality also was a shining light for the whole team. His management of each of the players proves that he is a man who never stops smiling and only wants to spread the same smile across campus.
As an employee who has some say in the overall function of the Athletic Department, Seck has implemented a new “charity” stream from the University. He said, “Living far away from home, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to support my family and community. I initiated efforts to send essential supplies and resources back to Senegal. Despite financial constraints, I worked hard and organized fundraisers and donation drives to collect items like clothing, school supplies, used sports equipment, shoes, and uniforms. These efforts were challenging but incredibly rewarding, emphasizing the importance of giving back to my homeland.”
As Seck’s time at the University will be complete by the end of the spring semester, he noted what his future aspirations look like, stating, “In the future, I aspire to leverage my education and experiences to make a positive impact, both in my community and globally. I am passionate about creating opportunities for underprivileged youth, particularly in the field of education.”
With that in mind, he hopes to establish a soccer academy in Dakar to provide a place for young children to receive a great education and training, which hopefully will allow these children to provide for their families. He says his dream is to see at least one of the children he impacted make it pro in Europe and create more opportunities for the next wave of youth.
Seck has also set up a non-profit, FutureForward Inc., with his childhood friends who are still in Senegal. Seck said that they “built sports facilities that allow young people to find a safe place to make friends, practice sports, and learn the skills of hard work, togetherness, and believing in each other to create a successful outcome and achieve their goals. I would like to dedicate the rest of my life to creating opportunities for children around Africa and wherever possible, to improve their knowledge, quality of life, and opportunities for great achievements. I came to Western New England for a great education, and I inherited a family that stopped at nothing to make sure I had everything I needed to accomplish my dreams and aspirations. I would like to pay it forward to the next generations to come in Africa and around the globe.”
Seck has credited Western New England University with helping him reach this point in his life by stating, “I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I have been given at Western New England and remain committed to contributing positively to my G-Bear community, and the world, inspired by the support of the staff and faculty here, my family, and the resilience of my homeland, Senegal.”
So, next time you are in the HLC, stop by Seck’s office in the gymnasium; it will be a conversation you will never regret having.
