Durham to Duke

Throughout her three years at Durham, Cherry Seaborn played for England’s under-21 national team and won a bronze medal at the European championships in 2012.

Having graduated that same year, Seaborn was reluctant to give up playing hockey and decided to study in the States for a year, to pursue her sport as well fulfilling as her childhood dream of living in America.

“Ever since I was in High School  I’ve always wanted to study in the United States,” she said.

“I looked into different schools that were good academically and also at hockey, and Duke was one that really jumped out at me”.

Having only visited the States once before, the choice behind her new location has caused quite a reaction; Seaborn herself jokingly remarked, “I obviously like my Durhams”. But she was determined to set the record straight, saying, “I made my decision purely based on recommendations”.

“Duke has such a good name in England, and there were lots of people who told me to go there. There were also some English girls [at  Duke], so I talked to them too”.

So far, Seaborn has started all of Duke’s games this year and is ranked third in the team, with five goals under her belt.

Still sporting the same number 19 from her Durham University days on her US hockey shirt, Seaborn is creating the same excitement on the pitch in North Carolina as she did back in the UK, as Duke experiences its best season since 2008.