Harry Bridgers Class of 2017

Story by Aneara Burns. Photo by Xavier Cook.

FCA alumni continue to prosper after high school. I had the pleasure to sit down and speak with Collegiate alum Harry Bridgers. A former football player turned coach, Bridgers knows what it means to have drive in order to succeed.

 Aneara: Where did you go to college, and what was your major?

Harry: I went to Susquehanna University. I was originally pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science, but I ended up graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Aneara: Was it hard to transition to life after high school? What were some challenges you faced?

Harry: Particularly in college, it was tough being alone and dependent on myself, and it just taught me how to be really, really deep in my relationship with God. That was one of the lessons that I learned—that if I can't rely on anybody else, I always have Him.

Aneara: What is your current career path? 

Harry: Currently, I am a football coach at Dunbar High School. I also worked at Dunbar as a technology coordinator. Being around the kids, being around a historical institution, like Dunbar, is a blessing. I see myself continuing to serve the community using football as a tool to reach the youth and working in technology to help out the people that I work with—families of students and staff. 

Aneara: How has football shaped you? 

Harry: Football has shaped me in a way that is unique, because I have a drive that is unmatched when it comes to everything, and that came from football. I have attention to detail and a competitive nature. It taught me how to have a hunger for success. I think that has been something that I've held on to even years after I didn't play football. Football definitely helped shape me as a person. 

Aneara: What is one life lesson that Collegiate taught you? 

Harry: There were many life lessons I learned at Collegiate, but one that stuck out was to be adaptable to your environment, to be adaptable and flexible to situations that you're in. 

Aneara: What advice would you give to the current Collegiate students? 

Harry: I would say to not be afraid to think outside the box. There's a world that is way bigger than DC, and I think that you guys should be exposed to that opportunity. 

 Aneara Burns is a sophomore at Arizona State University.