A postgraduate student has shared the extracurricular opportunities that have already opened up to him since he joined St Catharine’s this term. Ben Cook has joined the Cambridge Pythons, the University’s American Football team, and the St Catharine’s College Boat Club while studying for a Master of Business Administration at the Cambridge Judge Business School.
Originally from North Carolina in the USA, Ben played American Football throughout high school as strong safety, a defensive position that usually concentrates on stopping runs and covering opponents’ tight ends.
Ben explained, “After a couple of offers to play American Football for higher education institutions in Division 2 and Division 3, I chose instead to focus on my studies and not worry about football. I had a great time as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, majoring in Quantitative Biology with minors in Chemistry and Entrepreneurship. I ended up joining the cheer team at UNC which meant I had the best seat in the house for American Football games, but I also started to play quarterback for the University’s Flag Football team (a variant with less contact).”
In the run up to graduation, Ben started to get increasingly interested in the business side of healthcare. He joined a start-up consultancy in Washington DC as the firm’s first employee and staying with them through their first three years of growth.
Ben commented, “I made the decision to apply for an MBA at Cambridge because I wanted to be in a better position to move from consultancy to an in-house position at a healthcare company – either a start-up firm or a global corporation – in order to make a bigger impact. I was also looking for a new challenge and to experience living abroad.”
After arriving in Cambridge with his wife for the start of Michaelmas Term, Ben has immersed himself in both the College-level and University-wide sports open to all students during their studies.
He said, “I have always enjoyed the camaraderie and support that comes from a team sports environment. There aren’t any adult leagues for American Football in the States, so I figured my time at Cambridge might be my last chance to play. I have enjoyed getting back onto the field with the Cambridge Pythons and now get to play at quarterback because it is what the team needed and it is easier on the body.
“The Pythons are now 2-1 going into Lent Term, and only lost the one game by a touchdown, which was largely due to fatigue in the final quarter since we are a very small team in terms of number of players. If anyone is interested in trying out, please get in touch with me or the Pythons’ president James Tombling!”
Ben Cook (credit: Dik Ng)
Ben during a recent Cambridge Pythons match against DMU (credit: Dik Ng)
Away from the football field, Ben is also trying his hand at rowing with the St Catharine’s College Boat Club:
“I’m in the novice men’s first crew (NM1), which is a tight-knit bunch of novices and mostly Master’s students like myself. Our coaches are enthusiastic, and all the guys have been super fun to learn rowing with. It’s honestly been a blast and good to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. Rowing in the Clare Regatta on 30 November and later in the Fairbairn’s Cup on 5 December were awesome opportunities to represent Catz – we made it to the quarterfinals of Clare and in the top third of teams for Fairbairns. Our men’s boat ended up being the fastest novice boat from Catz since 2019!”
Ben Cook (right) rowing in NM1 at the 2024 Clare Novices Regatta (credit: AllMarkOne)
