Harrison Chuma, known as a gritty, aggressive, and mean hockey player, has finally approached his last season as a Blue Hen here at the University of Delaware. Number 6 is a defenseman, majoring in materials science engineering, from Ridgefield Connecticut. After learning to skate and enjoying it quite a bit, Harrison’s mom signed him up to play hockey at the young age of 5. He started out playing for a house league team called the Funny Hats and eventually made his way to the University to become a Blue Hen. After many seasons here in Delaware, there is one specific team memory that stands out the most. “Road trips with the guys, getting to escape campus for a bit and complain about having to be on the road, but really enjoying all of it,” said Chuma.
Harrison knew about UD and the hockey program because his older brother went to school here and he knew he really liked it already. He believed that with the balance of having a good hockey program, strong academics, and a fun environment, Delaware was the place to go. Chuma’s favorite team to play against is the Stony Brook Seawolves, who the team beat twice this season at Fred Rust Arena. He believes that his greatest hockey achievement thus far is still being able to play competitive hockey at the age of 23. As one of the captains on the team, Harrison had a big role to fill. He embraced the job and went on to try to build a team with good culture and that can get along well. Making the younger guys feel noticed and not just a part of the background was one of the many strategies Harrison used as captain. When asked what advice he could give to current and future team members Chuma stated, “Don’t worry about what’s going to happen or what’s already happened, realize how lucky you are to play with your best friends everyday. Everyone misses college when they leave so try to be nostalgic about the present.” After his many seasons he realized that it is better to be the guy who cared too much than to be the guy who was too cool to care.
Finally, Harrison stated that his dad was his biggest inspiration. “His work-life balance is unmatched and his unwillingness to compromise his beliefs is inspiring,” stated Chuma. His father’s desire to be of service in the community where he grew up was one of his biggest inspirations for his career interests. As graduation approaches, the future everyone used to say was far away is a couple months from now. Harrison’s plan for the future is to find a fulfilling job where he can make a difference. His main goal is to find something that matters to himself and eventually the world itself. After over 90 games played over 4 seasons as a Blue Hen, Harrison Chuma, number 6, will be moving on to his future and we look forward to seeing what life has in store for him.
Written by Erika Scholtz
