Gonzalo Rawinad

Not every sporting journey follows a straight line. Some players arrive in the United States after being key figures in Spain, while others need exactly the opposite: a change of context to find a stage where they can grow, compete and show their real potential.

Gonzalo Rawinad's story is one of the latter.

Before making the jump to the United States, Gonzalo played as a forward for Alcorcón B, in Madrid, part of a senior squad where his playing time wasn't especially high. The challenge was to find an opportunity that would let him keep developing both academically and athletically. That opportunity came in the United States.

A 90% scholarship to start the adventure

Gonzalo earned a 90% athletic scholarship at the University of West Alabama, making the jump into U.S. college soccer. Adapting to a new country, a new education system and a different competitive level isn't always easy.

During his first stint at West Alabama, he did get playing time. In fact, he finished the 2025 season with 15 matches played, five of them as a starter, three goals and one assist.

But his sporting situation didn't end up the way he expected. At the end of the spring season, the coach told him he wasn't part of the plans going forward.

And here comes one of the most important parts of this story: the process didn't end there.

When a first opportunity doesn't work out

For any student-athlete, news like that can be a tough moment. Gonzalo had already put in the effort of moving to the United States, adapting to a new environment and starting his college experience.

But one of the advantages of the U.S. college system is precisely the option to look for a new athletic and academic fit through a transfer. Instead of treating that situation as the end of his experience, we worked to find a new opportunity.

The goal wasn't simply to find another university. It was to find a context where Gonzalo could have a bigger role and keep growing. That new destination was William Penn University, in Iowa.

William Penn: a new stage

Gonzalo arrived at William Penn for the 2026-27 season, and the change has been significant. William Penn started the season as one of the top-ranked teams in NAIA soccer and currently sits at No. 4 in the rankings.

Gonzalo is having a very different level of prominence than he had before. In the first matches of the season, he has already started to leave his mark.

Against Concordia University, Gonzalo scored one of the goals in William Penn's 2-0 win. A few days later came one of his best performances yet: against Cumberland, another of the top-ranked teams, Gonzalo scored two goals and added an assist in a 3-3 draw.

In other words, within just a few days he became one of the key players on a team currently competing among the best programs in the country.

There's an academic project too

Soccer is an important part of Gonzalo's experience, but it isn't the only one. He continues his college education in the United States while building his athletic career. Sport and education keep moving forward together.

And that's precisely one of the keys to the U.S. college model: the goal isn't just to find a team to play for, but to build a project that makes sense for the student as a whole.

The value of knowing when to change course

Gonzalo's story reminds us of something we see constantly in our work: the first opportunity isn't always the final one. Sometimes a player arrives at a university and finds exactly the context they were looking for. Other times they need to adapt. And in some cases, like Gonzalo's, it's necessary to reassess the situation, look for alternatives and find a different environment.

His journey has gone through three very different stages:

• Spain: Alcorcón B
• First step in the U.S.: University of West Alabama, with a 90% athletic scholarship
• Transfer: William Penn University
• Today: a key player on a Top 5 NAIA program

It's not just about finding the first university

One of the most common mistakes when talking about U.S. college soccer is thinking everything ends once a player lands their first scholarship. In reality, the process can go on for several years: the athletic level can change, academic needs can change, a player's role on the team can change, and their personal goals can change too.

That's why, for us, the work doesn't end when a student arrives in the United States. We keep following their progress and looking for solutions whenever the context stops being the right one.

In Gonzalo's case, a first experience that didn't turn out as expected became the starting point for a new opportunity. Today he plays for one of the best-positioned teams in NAIA college soccer, and he's showing on the field that changing course can also be a step forward.