Andrew Burkhart - GHC Alum, Transfer Student

From GHC Esports to a University Scholarship

Andrew Burkhart enrolled at GHC in fall, 2020, with the goal of pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice. One reason Andrew chose to attend GHC is because his brother graduated from GHC and recommended the College. Andrew’s brother also recommended checking out GHC’s Esports program. “Thankfully I did!” remembered Andrew.

This decision to join Esports would impact Andrew’s life and his career path in many ways. While participating in Esports at GHC, Andrew received a $35,000 scholarship from Marian University in Wisconsin. He transferred to Marian in the fall of 2022, where he continues to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and participates in the University’s Esports team. 

“I am planning to finish my bachelor’s degree here at Marian University before returning to Grays Harbor to enter the field of law enforcement,” said Andrew. “With that career, I can travel anywhere, so I may come back to Wisconsin if I make the right connections during my time here,” he explained. In the meantime, Andrew is enjoying playing for Marian’s Valorant team. “We are working toward an amazing season and a trophy!” he said.

Along with scholarship opportunities, Andrew said the lessons he learned in Esports will also help him in his future career. “Esports teaches communication and self-reflection. You must communicate with your teammates in and out of game—talking about plans during practices, figuring out plays to do in game, and then incredibly intense moments in game where a fraction of a second lost in miscommunication can make you lose. Learning how to communicate is super important in law enforcement, since it is a life and death field,” he explained.

Andrew participated in Esports and served as a captain throughout his time at GHC. Along with being on a team that ranked 6th in a large, national league, Andrew said the sense of community he felt as part of the program was one of his favorite things about his time as a Choker. “I really enjoyed the community for Esports at GHC. It was always friendly, and I felt welcomed there,” he remembered.

When asked what advice he would give future students, Andrew said, “the best piece of advice I have been given is improve yourself by 1% every day. Every little, small thing that becomes habit will eventually make your life better. Enrolling at GHC was one step in my journey, but it gave such a great foundation for learning in my academic career that I’m very thankful for, especially for all of my teachers and classmates.”