Wolfsburg Goalkeeper Stina Johannes Chose Bundesliga Dreams Over Harvard acceptance
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY – Rising German goalkeeper Stina Johannes, 25, traded a potential Ivy League education for a professional football career, recently revealing she turned down acceptance to Harvard University to pursue her ambitions in the Bundesliga. Now starring for VfL Wolfsburg after a summer transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt – and having already earned five caps for the German national team (DFB) - Johannes’ path to success wasn’t always clear.
Johannes first made her mark in the bundesliga wiht SGS essen, where she played from 2018 to 2022. However, a few years prior, the Hannover native received an offer that could have drastically altered her trajectory. She was accepted to Harvard University in the United States.
Speaking on the “frauen.fussball.podcast” by ‘FUMS’,Johannes explained her decision. “I wanted to play in the Bundesliga. Then I thought to myself, whether I study math at Harvard University or at the University of Duisburg-Essen… it doesn’t matter.”
Ultimately, Johannes opted to remain in Germany, earning a diploma from the University of Duisburg-Essen while honing her skills on the pitch. She believes the value of a degree remains constant regardless of the institution. “there’s only one diploma anyway,” she said.
