Gabriel Powell

Playing the Valorant video game started out as a youthful escape for Gabriel Powell but he leveraged those gaming skills to earn an e-sports scholarship from Winthrop University.

As his college and esports career wind down this semester, Powell looks back on his time as a very positive experience. There were ups and downs but he contributed greatly to putting Winthrop on the map for being an esports college leader.

Powell spent his first two college years in his native Canada at Carleton University. The COVID pandemic had prevented his participation on city teams for rugby and football from taking place so the very competitive Powell looked for another outlet. Carleton offered an esports team but no scholarships so Powell put out the word: if colleges wanted their esports teams to win Valorant matches, then send him a message.

Winthrop reached out, was bowled over by his skills and extended an offer.

Powell spent one semester taking online classes and then took the plunge to come south to a different country. “I’ve met very close friends that I will rely on for the rest of my life,” Powell said, adding that attending Winthrop helped him mature into a confident adult.

When Powell arrived, the Winthrop team was considered around #18 in the country. There is no official ranking, but now Winthrop typically finishes in second place behind Maryville University. In one of the biggest moments in the team’s history, Powell played on the team that came in second in the 2023 national championship.

With the team switching up its lineup, he took a break from the team in fall 2023 and returned the next year.

Last summer, Powell traveled with the esports team to Brazil as the only university team invited to play Valorant against pro teams.

There were hundreds of teams competing online, and the Eagles ended up in the top four. Mexico was the next destination with Powell selected as one of three players to compete.

With championship titles achieved and an esports center opened in the nearby Lowenstein Building, Powell thinks the esports team will thrive in the future. “They’re set up for success,” he said.

While at Winthrop, Powell earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2024 and remained for two years to work on an M.L.A. degree in civic engagement, which he will complete in May. His thesis is on the reaction of Russia invading Ukraine based on their desire to stop the expansion of NATO during what he sees as a shift in the world order.

Powell isn’t sure what his next move will be. His mother, who was born in the Soviet Union, exposed him to learning other languages. He speaks English, Russian and is working on French. His Canadian father encouraged him always to keep up with world politics.

One option is to become a professional video game player though there aren’t many English-speaking professional teams. Another option would be to return to Canada to look for a government position.

Whatever his decision, playing esports on a college team has been memorable for the experience, the travel and the friendships.