Menvekeh Daramay has been playing soccer since age 5.

Now a 21-year-old senior cognitive science major with a concentration in neuroscience in the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences, he plays forward striker or attacking mid-fielder for the Penn Men’s Soccer Club.

His teammates call him, “Doc,” because his initials are M.D. and his name’s a little difficult for them to pronounce.

Daramay lived in Guinea, West Africa, until he was 10.  Then, through a United Nations refugee program, he moved to Upper Moreland, Pa. 

He says he’s lucky to have two sets of family –- his biological family in Guinea and his foster family in Pennsylvania. George and Grace Haegele serve as his legal guardians, welcoming him into their home with open arms. He lovingly refers to the Haegeles as “Mom and Dad.”

Along with the other members of the soccer club, Daramay says that the players’ families play a big role in the team’s success.

“They are our biggest fans, and they come to all the games –- whether we’re playing at Penn Park or away somewhere in the Midwest for the national championships or if we’re at another Ivy for the annual Ivy League tournament,” Daramay says. “ They are there with drinks, food and, above all, they’re there with support.”

Playing soccer at Penn, Daramay says, is much like playing soccer anywhere: fun and competitive. But, he says, it’s different in other ways. This is the first time that he’s played with an organized team without a coach. However, he praises his three co-captains from the School of Engineering and Applied Science -- senior Mike Markovitz, junior Jake Decker and junior Steve Rybicki -- for leading the charge.

“You might think that’s a disadvantage to us considering that we are playing teams with coaches, but I believe it makes us special” Daramay says. “We have learned to work hard for ourselves and for each other. We win or lose as a team. All of this has led to a unique type of camaraderie, trust and respect among ourselves.”

All of the Penn Men’s Soccer games are free and open to the public. The next game is at St. Joseph’s University on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.

“We always encourage and would love to see more people attend our games,” Daramay says. “The team is very talented and we work very hard, which is reflected in our record each season. Since joining the team we’ve always finished the season with a wining record, and I am told that was the case before, too.”

Aside from Penn being one of the most prestigious universities in the country, Daramay says the best thing about being a student here is the people that he’s met, like his teammates at the soccer club.

“The relationships and connections that I’ve made here with faculty, staff and students will last beyond my time of being a student here,” Daramay says.

He adds that Penn’s no-loan financial aid program played a significant role in his ability to attend.

“Without it, I couldn’t,” he says.

When he’s not studying or playing soccer, Daramay serves as the president of the Muslim Student Association at Penn and as a member of the Sphinx Senior Honor Society. He also likes to hang out with friends and read non-academic material when he gets the time.

After Commencement in May 2015, Daramay plans to take a year off before heading to medical school.