Scholarship Connect

This time last year, our team was thinking about descending on Atlanta, Georgia, for the Premier League Series (July) and the game between Newcastle United and Chelsea at the Mercedes Benz Stadium. Joe did well to sit with Karl and Jonny, who are both Sunderland fans. Jonny played for Clayton State University Atlanta; Karl played for Tyler Junior College in Texas, Marshall University West Virginia, and Clayton State University Atlanta. Joe played for Lander University South Carolina, Eastern New Mexico University Portales, Clayton State University Atlanta, and the University of Illinois Springfield.

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Nat Johnson and a wonderful group of girls took part in fundraising yesterday for the Maddy Cusack Foundation .. Nat was a former team mate of Maddy who passed away at home September 20, 2023. RIP Maddy

Big Al Shearer always tells it how it is! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Congratulations to our Women's Soccer Ambassador and former Converse player Nat Johnson , who has today signed a new 2-year contract with Nottingham Forest. Nat has been a full-time professional footballer in the UK since returning from the USA. Good luck 2024-26, Nat 👍

With Pass Soccer Academy – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

Step into your future with confidence —sign up now and take the first step to achieving your football dreams!
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JACK GURR

Pro baller with Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship Western Conference

✅️2013 - signs with Scholarship Connect
✅️2014 - NAIA Georgia Gwinnett College
✅️2018 - The Georgia Revolution
✅️2020 - Turns Pro
✅️2020 - Atlanta United 2 (USLC)
✅️2021 - Atlanta United (MLS)
✅️2021 - Aberdeen (Scot Prem)
✅️2022 - Sacramento Republic (USLC)
✅️Played in Concacaf Champions League
✅️Played in MLS
✅️Played in Scots Premier League
✅️Played in US Open Cup Final
✅️Scholarship Connect Hall of Fame
✅️Scholarship Connect Men's Soccer Ambassador

Karl (2004) and Joe (2017), Shaun who persuaded me to start it all and Jonathan, along with Karl, the first placements.

20 years - 1 player for each year!
Jonathan Taylor (2004, Florida); James Pounder (2005, New York); Nick Hindhaugh (2006, Florida); David Winskill (2007, Virginia); Chris Hunter (2008, Arizona); Joe Hughes (2009, Florida); Lewis Blissett (2010, South Carolina); Andrew Brown (2011, Arizona); Michael Dodds (2012, Florida); Jack Fisher (2013, Florida); Jack Gurr (2014, Georgia); Jordan Skelton (2015, South Carolina); Jack Gibson (2016, Iowa); Dom Laws (2017, New Jersey); Hollie Francis (2018, Georgia); Anthony Hyde (2019, Missouri); Jack Brown (2020, Georgia); Chloe Flannaghan (2021, New York); Alex Kemsley (2022, Alberta); and Ryan Muldoon (2023, Texas)

PHOTO JONNY TAYLOR , ALONG WITH KARL HAGGON, HE WAS THE FIRST

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https://www.scholarshipconnect.co.uk/application-form

As humble as they come this lad
Callum Challinor prolific goalscorer at Santa Barbara City College and West Texas A&M University. Callum now lives and coaches in Dallas, Texas.

Boots competition coming up you should have found Gazza by now 🤣

CONGRATULATIONS to Karl Haggon (centre), who we can confirm has overseen the placement of 100% of our student-athletes for the SECOND year in a row. This is a remarkable achievement. We normally place 85% upwards with many agencies placing around 60-70% (or lower for the bigger agencies). For us to achieve 100% two years in a row is incredible. Last year was the first time we got 100%. Well done, Karl, for leading this. Karl Haggon is Head of Client Services USA for Scholarship Connect and operates from our US based in Atlanta, Georgia.

HALL OF FAMERS - THREE OUTSTANDING GOALKEEPERS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Lewis Sharpe - Georgia Gwinnett College, Lawrenceville, Georgia
Lee Clark - College of Southern Maryland, La Plata, Maryland
Lee Clark - Keiser University, West Palm Beach, Florida
Lee Clark - Manhattan College, New York City, New York
Liam Gibbs - St Louis Community College, St Louis, Missouri
Liam Gibbs - Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri

HALL OF FAMERS - THREE OUTSTANDING FORWARDS

Mark Anderson - Barry University, Miami, Florida
Joe Conway - Lander University, Greenwood, South Carolina
Joe Conway - Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico
Joe Conway - Clayton State University, Atlanta, Georgia
Joe Conway - University of Illinois, Springfield
Ryan King - Barry University, Miami, Florida
Ryan King - Clayton State University, Atlanta, Georgia

Karl Haggon and Joe Conway. They represent Scholarship Connect in the 🇺🇸. Karl is Head of Client Services USA operating from our Atlanta GA base. Joe is our graduate assistant who is undertaking his MBA at the University of Illinois Springfield. By December, hopefully, both of them will hold an MBA. Incredible, really. 🙏

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Check in on your mates because you never know when you might see someone for the last time...

JACK GURR PICTURED AS A STUDENT-ATHLETE IN 2014. Sent on a soccer scholarship by Scholarship Connect, fast forward to 2024 and he is a pro who has played in the MLS, the Champions League, the Scottish Prem League, the USL Championship and the US Open Cup Final. Pro clubs: Atlanta United, Aberdeen, and Sacramento Republic.

In a 2020 Scholarship Connect interview, we asked Jack: What advice would you give to any youngster considering coming to America to try their luck?

JACKS ANSWER: “The biggest thing I can tell you is sitting down with your family and look seriously at what options you have right now not maybe or potentially… but what options you have on the table in England right now!!! For me, I had the 6-month contract at Forest or coming to the USA. For me personally it’s always been about football, so why would I decide to stay home and do a job I don’t enjoy and get stuck there committing my future at home. The proof of the opportunity is here. You’ve just got to be brave enough to try! - If you don’t at least try you’ll never know what opportunities and doors could open for you. If you genuinely believe you have better options back home, then your decision is made. However, if you are on the fence, I believe you should come out as you can always go back home. Scholarship Connect has a proven track record of being the best provider for doing this anywhere that I know in England, so trust their service, and they will deliver for you”.

OUR HALL OF FAME

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Mark Anderson 🇺🇸Lee Clark 🇺🇸Joe Conway
🇺🇸Jonny Evans 🇺🇸Liam Gibbs 🇺🇸Jack Gurr
🇺🇸Karl Haggon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Chris Hunter 🇧🇲Ryan King
🇺🇸Ryan Kirby 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Dom Laws 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Daniel McGuire
🇺🇸Lewis Sharpe 🇺🇸Jordan Skelton 🇺🇸Nathan Watt ..6 turned pro + 7 Masters Degrees + 10 coaches + ALL, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, outstanding, proper outstanding achievements!!! Proud of them all !!!

Former England Schools International and Clayton State University standout Jonny Evans is to be inducted to the Scholarship Connect Hall of Fame in June 2024. Evans was ranked in the Top 50 players in USL2 in 2016 and has also played professionally in the USA. Evans is Director of Coaching at AFC Lightning in Atlanta, Georgia.

When thinking if a US soccer scholarship is for you - do you have time to do it over? YES "dreams do come true" according to our pro footballer Jack Gurr. Our first player to turn pro in the USA, Mark Anderson said "going on a USA soccer scholarship was the best footballing decision I made in my life."

Scholarship Connect has had a player:

Play in the MLS
Play in the Champions League
Win NCAA Player of the Year
Win NCAA Most Assists in the Nation
Play in the US Open Cup Final
Win USCAA National Player of the Week
Secure 100% on his BA and MBA
Vote away from NPSL Team of the Season
Win back-to-back National Championships
Win SSC Player of the Decade

https://www.scholarshipconnect.co.uk/application-form

We have a big reason to celebrate in Women’s Soccer – we have a record number of female student athletes competing abroad this year – just over 26% of our international players will be female. This is a big step forward for Women’s Soccer in our region as more and more choose to head to the USA on soccer scholarships. Secondly, and it is early days as we have a whole season to play, but we are hoping that 2024 will be the year when we induct our first Women’s Soccer player to the Scholarship Connect Hall of Fame. There is no pressure there, but we would love to get to this position as the number of our female athletes increases significantly and opens the door for such an opportunity. Pictured are some of our female student-athletes: Clockwise from top left: Neave Ross (Mississippi Gulf Coast, Mississippi); Chloe Flannaghan (Clayton State, Georgia); Sarah Bambrick (Reinhardt, Georgia); our bright new star Rosie Dunkerton (Tennessee Wesleyan, Tennessee) and Naomi Tilley (transferred to Point, Georgia). We wish all our women players an outstanding season, including those not featured in this post! Good luck, ladies! 😊
APPLY LADIES: https://www.scholarshipconnect.co.uk/application-form

Scholarship Connect has sent hundreds of North-East players on USA soccer scholarship opportunities to 39 US States & Canada since 2004. The chance to pursue the dream in The Land of the Free is very real!!! 🇺🇸⚽️ Our method of working at Scholarship Connect has paved the way for numerous athletes to gain maximum life benefit from the system by turning pro or entering coaching. There is a catalogue of documented life-changing journeys filled with growth and success for ex-clients. Contact us to learn more about the incredible culture and life changing opportunities that exist in the USA
BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY VIA THE APPLICATION LINK BELOW

https://www.scholarshipconnect.co.uk/application-form

📲🇬🇧✈🇺🇸⚽️👍👨‍🎓👩‍🎓

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The incredible Scholarship Connect Hall of Fame. Achievements of this group is quite unbelievable and so proud of them all. What a team on the field this would be 👏 👏 👏

We are saddened to learn of the death of PGA star Grayson Murray, who died by su***de yesterday aged just 30. Grayson was born in Raleigh North Carolina in October 1993 and died in Dallas Fort Worth Texas yesterday. Grayson was a student-athlete at Wake Forest, East Carolina and Arizona State. He turned professional 2015. Rest In Peace Grayson.

Need help or support???

IN THE UK
Text SHOUT to 85258
Samaritans 116 123
In Emergency 999

IN THE USA
National Su***de Line 888
Samaritans 212 673 3000
In Emergency 911

Our Women's Soccer Ambassador Nat Johnson is a pro footballer with Nottingham Forest. She played NCAA D2 soccer in South Carolina for Converse College. Our Men's Soccer Ambassador is Jack Gurr, who is a pro footballer with USL Championship side Sacramento Republic. Jack was our first player to play in the MLS. He did that at Atlanta United when he also played in the Concacaf Champions League. Jack has also played in the US Open Cup Final (Lamar Cup) and for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League. Jack played NAIA Soccer for Georgia Gwinnett College in Atlanta.