A Student-Athlete's Perspective: Christian Webster

Harvard senior guard Christian Webster is one of the Crimson's co-captains for the men's basketball team for the 2012-13 season. He has played an integral role in Harvard winning two-straight Ivy League titles during his sophomore and junior seasons and has the program in position for a third title this year.

1. When you think of the history and accomplishments of African-Americans in our country, what jumps out in your mind?
Webster: When I think of the amazing achievement that African-Americans have been able to accomplish in the history of this country the first thing that comes to my mind is how far we have come. Obviously everyone knows about the ground-breaking gains in the African-American community that the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Jackie Robinson made. But, I like to think of people like Richard Greener, who was the first African-American to graduate from Harvard in 1870. To imagine the vision and perseverance that people like this showed to pave the way for other African-Americans to attend Ivy League institutions today, it is absolutely mind blowing and I am VERY grateful and thankful for their sacrifices for kids today to have these sorts of opportunities.

2. What do you enjoy and what are the challenges in your current experiences as an African-American student-athlete on an Ivy League campus?
Webster: One of the most rewarding challenges is being able to say that I am one of the only people in my life to get a college degree, let alone from a Ivy League institution like Harvard! That is something that is so special to me and my family that I cannot begin to put it into words. One of the many challenges that I face is continuosly trying to prove to my self to my peers that I belong on an Ivy League campus. I feel that as a student-athete on a Ivy League campus you are often times less highly regarded academically simply because you were recruited and that is something that is tough to deal with.

3. As you reflect on Black History month, talk about one person who has influenced your life and why?
Webster: The one person that has influenced my life the most is my father. From day one in my life he has been there with me and has groomed me into being the young man that I am today. He was the main person that pushed me to attend Harvard and has always driven home the importance of education. To see him come from the neighborhood that he grew up in to now finishing a self-help book for people suffering from anxiety and depression (something that he went through) and being able to say that he has a son that goes to Harvard, along with the resolve that he has shown over and over in his life, has been nothing but an inspiration to me to follow my dreams as he has done with his.

4. What do you feel is your role in being a leader or role model as African-American student-athlete on your campus and in your communities both at school and at home?
Webster: I feel that my role as a African-American leader and student-athlete in this day and age comes with a lot of responsibility because you always have eyes on you. I just try to be a model guy on campus and in my community at home to show younger kids what it takes to be able to get into a world-class university and let them know that it is possible to be able to get here through hard work and belief in yourself.

5. Projecting forward, what is one thing you would like to achieve or be part of once you graduate to advance the African-American ideal for future generations?
Webster: To advance the African-American ideal for future generations, I would just like to continue to be a role-model for kids in the African-American community and speak on the importance of education. There is a great need for strong African-American role models that kids can see doing things in arenas other than entertainment and I feel that education is where it all starts. If we focus on education in our communities for future generations of African-Americans so many more options and opportunities will open up for young black kids, I think that will help us to flourish!