Women’s Soccer Player Fatou Gibba Named CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) women’s soccer player Fatou Gibba has been named a scholar-athlete of the year by the CUNY Athletic Conference (CUNYAC). Gibba, who lives in the Bronx, is a criminal justice major who has maintained an impressive 3.66 grade point average.

Gibba appeared in all six matches with five starts for the BMCC Panthers during the Fall 2019 season. She helped the BMCC team win key matches over CUNYAC opponent Kingsborough Community College.

“This award is given out to a select few CUNY student-athletes that excel both on the field and in the classroom,” said Dakota Olson, Coordinator of BMCC Athletics. “Fatou has worked tirelessly to maintain a high GPA and graduate in two years while balancing the obligations of competing on our soccer team with the added pressure that all students have faced during the pandemic. It is an incredible honor for her to be recognized among the top student-athletes in the CUNY Athletic Conference and we are proud to have her representing BMCC.”

Gibba was born and raised in The Gambia, in West Africa. At the age of 11, she moved to Cuba and then Venezuela. In 2013, she moved with her family to Seattle and two years later, moved to New York City.  Gibba enrolled at BMCC in Fall 2019 and will graduate in Fall 2021 with an associate degree in criminal justice.

While growing up, she was always into athletic activities that involved physical strength, she said. In high school, she joined the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).

“I wanted to go join the army but my family would always say it’s too dangerous.  But I didn’t care, I was still into it,” said Gibba. “I liked the idea of always training. What really sparked my interest in the JROTC was the boot camp. I love all the muddy training, the climbing every part of it.”

She says she has always been into competitive sports. Only recently did she realize that soccer was the game for her.

“I love everything about it— the chase, the run, the aggression, the technique and especially the teamwork,” said Gibba.

When she began classes at BMCC, Gibba says she was initially nervous about starting college, but getting involved in the athletics program helped build her confidence.

“Soccer makes me feel alive and having these encouraging and amazing coaches and managers making sure I was keeping up with my classes while also playing my best for the team helped me a lot,” said Gibba.

After she graduates from BMCC, Gibba plans to attend Hofstra University for the dual degree program in criminal justice and linguistics which could give her competitive advantage in a criminal justice career. She also wants to become a professional athlete.

“However, the professional athlete career path is hard without the right connections and management,” said Gibba. “So, I’ll say in 10 years, I see myself becoming an FBI agent.”