Harvard Grad Chases Dream of National Wrestling Championship at Rutgers

Yaraslau Slavikouski has been chasing his dreams since he was 9 years old.

He grew up in Belarus and dreamed of coming to the United States. He was inspired by his older brother Valentin, who convinced him that he could have a better life if he moved.

That dream took him across the ocean alone at the age of 17. Now 25, he is pursuing his second master’s degree at Rutgers. He’s also chasing a national wrestling championship.

After earning a degree in economics from Harvard, Slavikouski joined Rutgers Business Schoolwhere he obtained a master’s degree in Supply Chain Analytics. This year he is studying Financial Analytics. In the meantime, he continues to train while weighing 245 – in a maximum 280-pound class.

“I’ve improved a lot since last season,” he said of wrestling. “It took some time to adjust to the Big Ten. It’s a different level of competition, but that’s what I wanted. That’s why I chose Rutgers, to challenge myself and be challenged every day during training. I’ve made a lot of progress. I can see it, I can feel it. Obviously it took some time. I wanted it to be a little faster, but it takes time. Unfortunately, nothing comes easy. Nothing comes quickly.”

This also applies to his academic journey. With the help of several people, led by his brother, Slavikouski was able to enroll at Northfield Mount Hermon in the town of Gill, Massachusetts. In high school, he would become a three-time New England champion, and, combined with his academic prowess, success, was on his way to an Ivy League school.

He started as the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Freshman of the Year and earned an EIWA academic achievement award. He finished his career at Harvard and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. His achievements in those years also included making the Belarusian national team and third place at the European Championships.

Last season he won 22 matches, finished fourth in the Big 10 tournament and became the first Rutgers All-American heavyweight since 1964 with a seventh-place finish in the NCAA tournament.

“The Big Ten is obviously a bigger beast,” he said, comparing it to the Ivy League schedule. “Every week the competition is at a very high level. Every man gives you value for your money. They struggle hard and compete with you. It’s just not the same.”

“He has gotten better,” coach Scott Goodale said before a practice. “He approaches it so differently; he’s so damn quiet. Can he win it all? On any given day, sure. He’s good enough to do that.”

Senior John Poznanski, in the 197 class, couldn’t say enough about Slavikouski.

“We have become very close,” he said. “He has Sunday dinners with my family. He is a great training partner, a great guy, a great friend and a great teammate.”

Slavikouski grew up in the small town of Rechitsa, about 200 miles from the capital Minsk.

“I come from very humble beginnings,” he said. “I didn’t have anything special growing up. My parents divorced when I was very young, but that didn’t really have any consequences for me. I had my brother growing up and he was my father figure. He’s the one who brought me to the wrestling room. We still speak to each other every day.”

When asked if his mother had a positive influence on him, he smiled.

“She had a big influence on me. She was always the one who pushed for education. She made sure my brother and I prioritized school. We were also good athletes, so she pushed us in a fun way to become student-athletes.”

She also graduated and currently works in chemical engineering for a mining company in Minsk.

He hasn’t seen her since graduating from Harvard. As for his father, he said, “We are on good terms. We call each other.”

The focus of course remains on following the lessons and practicing.

“The Business School here is no joke,” he said. “It’s a very hands-on experience, a very detailed experience. Every professor wants to get the best out of you. Rutgers was one of the best options for me in terms of pursuing an education. It is one of the best business schools around. Plus, it’s close to New York City, and after this I want to work in finance. So for me it is a perfect location.

“As far as wrestling goes, you can see for yourself that it is an exceptional Big 10 program. The coaching staff, all training partners and the attention to athletes, and specifically wrestling, are excellent here.

“Balancing that with wrestling is obviously a challenge, but it’s not my first year doing it, so so far I’ve been making it work.”

When asked if last year’s finish was a disappointment, Slavikouski waited a few seconds before answering. “I mean, it’s always disappointing to lose, and if I’m not a national champion, that means I lost somewhere.

“But at the same time I know that life is more than just winning and losing. It’s about the process, the people you meet along the way, your character development.

“I know I will do everything I can and work as hard as I can to make it happen. I have confidence in myself and my preparation. I am a competitor. “I don’t want to say I’m a sore loser,” he said with a smile, “but I don’t like losing.”

It is clear that Yaraslau Slavikouski is anything but a loser.