Esports at NMC is less than a year old, but varsity team advisor Terri Gustafson already has become a sort of regional guru, with regional schools regularly reaching out about how to start their own teams.

Though brief, Gustafson and the Hawk Owls’ track record is enviable: In its first semester, one of the two teams, Rocket League, made it into divisional playoffs. All student athletes get $500 scholarships per semester. This semester, Gustafson plans to add a third team, which will share the Esports lab in the West Hall Innovation Center that “blows away” visiting students.

“Not bad for a rookie program,” Gustafson said. “The varsity aspect of it has really taken off.”

Electrical engineering transfer student Jordan Hunt says being on the Overwatch team benefits his overall well-being.

“The scholarship alleviates the need to work so many hours,” said Hunt, 24. “It’s been a good way to connect with others on campus.”

Kyle Warner, a Computer Information Technology student from Cadillac who takes most of his classes online, agreed. “If not for this program I probably wouldn’t have met a single student,” he said.

That feeling isn’t simply sentimental. It’s key to students persisting semester to semester, and completing their degree.

“I think it’s really helped them have a sense of belonging and community, and we know how important that is to keeping them here,” Gustafson said.