From Cleats to the Classroom

They started as a rowdy, scrappy group.

That’s how Harry Arnold, ‘72, ‘85 MBA, describes the Seattle University men’s soccer team during his playing days of the late 1960s.

Arnold joined the team in 1968—the second year of the program—and recalls that soccer was not a popular sport at the time, with many Americans unfamiliar with the sport. Fast forward to today and a men’s soccer team with a renowned reputation, championships and an excitement for what’s ahead as they will be the first SU sport to play in the West Coast Conference (SU officially joins the WCC on July 1).

To honor Arnold’s time in the program, his educational experience in engineering and the legacy of soccer in the family, Arnold and his wife, Caron Arnold, established the Arnold Family Endowed Scholarship for Men’s Soccer.

As the first endowed scholarship for the program and one of the largest endowments for SU Athletics at $1 million, the scholarship will increase the team’s competitiveness while supporting academic excellence. The first scholarship will be awarded in fall 2025 to a talented soccer player majoring in engineering or STEM.

“This historic scholarship endowment elevates us competitively,” says SU Vice President for Athletics Shaney Fink. “As we head into the WCC, this scholarship supports our Redhawk championship culture and ensures student athletes will thrive in this highly competitive environment.”

As a student at SU, Arnold split his time between the soccer field, the classroom and visits to the Dean of Engineering’s office to discuss how to piece together work study, loans and scholarships to pay for his tuition. He ended up spending several hours a day working as a janitor at apartments near campus, while balancing soccer practice and his coursework. Thinking about the increased demands of NCAA Division I sports today, Arnold hopes that this scholarship helps ease the financial burden on student athletes.

“I worked every quarter—I never just went to school,” he recalls. “Caron and I and our three boys all wanted to endow a scholarship to help somebody get through this with a little less difficulty.”

Arnold attributes his successful career at The Boeing Company to the educational opportunities—and his engineering degree—at SU. He later worked for Goodrich Aerospace, holding several prominent positions, including Vice President of Enterprise Technology and President of the Vergennes Aerospace Plant, where he managed 800 employees.

“Clearly, my engineering degree opened the first door at Boeing,” Arnold says. “I went back to SU to go to the MBA night school and that really was the key in terms of my career. It provided tremendous opportunities for me.”

Beyond college, Arnold continued playing soccer into his 40s. Soccer is beloved in the Arnold household as all three sons played the sport and the couple’s grandchildren now continue that legacy.

“Soccer is such a big part of our lives. With three boys, our weeks and weekends were consumed with soccer,” Caron says. “Now our grandchildren play and it brings it all back.”

The Arnold family with Men's Soccer Coach Nate Daligcon and VP for Athletics Shaney Fink.

“We are excited for the new level of competition the WCC brings as one of the premier college soccer conferences in the country,” says Men’s Soccer Coach Nate Daligcon. “With the support of the Arnold Family Endowed Scholarship, we’re even better positioned to recruit top-tier student athletes and build on our legacy of success at Seattle University."

The Arnolds are excited to see SU Athletics return to the WCC and plan to be there cheering the team and the Redhawks on from the sidelines.

Interested in learning how to make a gift or establish an endowment? Contact Beverly Verduin, assistant athletic director for development, at verduinbever@seattleu.edu or 206-296-5451.