BLUEFIELD – Bluefield is a long way from Harare, Zimbabwe. Throughout the past four years Michael Gutu has bridged the distance and cultural gap between the two cities, nations, and continents and has become a leader on the BC campus.
Gutu came to Bluefield in 2016 and found it quite different from his home. He moved from a large city to a small town, but he maintained his values that have helped him earn success in athletics and in the classroom.
"It was a huge adjustment, Gutu said. "The place, the language, the education system and just getting used to the environment. I had never seen snow until I was here. I had to make a lot of changes."
A member of the men's tennis team, Gutu was named Appalachian Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year following the 2017 season. He was an excellent tennis player in his home country and had dreams of being a professional. However, his mother's advice was his guiding compass and it helped land him at BC.
"I was attempting to become a pro and was playing tournaments. My mother told me one day tennis was going to end and I needed more," Gutu said. "For my mom it was like education and sports should be 50/50. Coming to Bluefield gave me that opportunity where I could play the sport I love while I continue my academic career."
Gutu arrived on campus three weeks after classes started in the fall of 2016 and scrambled to catch up, but he did successfully. One of the challenged he faced was typing papers for class instead of handwriting them. He got his first win at a tournament hosted by the University of Charleston (W.Va.) during the fall season, and went on in the spring to have an outstanding campaign enroute to being named AAC Freshman of the Year.
"It was a great honor to receive that award. It helped me settle down in the environment and I was able to know I could play at this level and fit into the conference I was playing in," Gutu said. "It was a great achievement. It was my first award here. I really love it here."
Gutu's success extends into the classroom where he has been a President's List member throughout his BC career.
The men's tennis team is a close group. Gutu came in with three other freshmen who are all seniors this year – Rodrigo Huarachi, Tanaka Rushwaya, and Satoshi Yamada, student-athletes from around the world who met in Bluefield, Va. They have grown into a tight-knit group.
"At some point you get to know each other more at a different level. You talk to each other, you talk about past experiences, what we go through, and in the end you realize we have been walking in the same park but we just didn't know it, coming from different cultures to the same place," Gutu said.
"I am going to finish with the same guys I started with and that is really awesome. Having the opportunity to finish your college career is like the last dance. I'm looking forward to it and I am really excited about it."
In addition to being a member of the men's tennis team, Gutu has been on the cross country squad, and last year he added soccer and track & field to his sports resume, becoming the first four-sport athlete in recent BC history.
"I always had a special place in my heart for soccer. When I was young I couldn't really decide if I should go with tennis or soccer. It was a tough decision for me to make. But in the end I had to choose tennis because firstly back home every male child plays soccer and you have a lot of competition. You don't really need a team to play tennis," Gutu said.
"I always loved soccer and getting the opportunity to play here is really awesome. The team that we have really accepted me and see me as one of their own. It was really great."
Gutu is a member of the soccer team again this season. With cross country and track he said his participation in those sports was for conditioning and a way he could prepare for other sports.
Set to graduate in December, Gutu is a campus leader, serving as a Residence Assistant and is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). He takes his leadership roles seriously and believes that is what one should do as a member of a community.
"It has always been my desire that whatever community I am involved in, I try to be a role model and example for others. Taking those roles (RA and SAAC member) helped me to achieve that," Gutu said.
"That is one of my principles, just being a role model for someone to look up to in whatever community I am involved in. Bluefield College has helped me to achieve that. It has helped me gain confidence and be in leadership roles."