Seb Lloyd is officially a Harvard man.
Lloyd, a Prince George product who plays for the West Kelowna Warriors of the B.C. Hockey League, was notified by phone earlier this month that he had been accepted into Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
His letter of acceptance -- a cherished document if ever there was one -- arrived in the mail on Tuesday.
"When I got the phone call I was really excited," Lloyd said Wednesday from West Kelowna's Royal LePage Place. "I called my parents right away and I was happy just to get the process over with and not have to worry about turning in essays and recommendation letters and stuff."
The 19-year-old Lloyd will begin his studies at Harvard, as well as the next phase of his hockey career, in September. Off the ice, he'll work toward a degree in business. On the ice, he'll fill a forward spot for the Harvard Crimson, which competes in Division 1 of the NCAA.
Harvard, established in 1636 and located in Cambridge, Mass., has seen 47 Nobel Laureates, 32 heads of state and 48 Pulitzer Prize winners pass through its doors. U.S. presidents who received honourary degrees from Harvard included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
Lloyd, a straight-A student during his high school years at PGSS, was offered a scholarship to Harvard in December of 2012. He had already written the dreaded Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and had scored 1,770 (the average is 1,500). Lloyd then visited Harvard this past October for a meeting with the admissions board. After that, in early December, he wrote a second SAT, this one subject-specific on math and literature. Next came the completion of his formal application, which required him to submit a handful of essays and letters of recommendation.
"It's quite a process," Lloyd said. "It was exciting -- a little stressful at times just making sure I had everything rounded up and getting everything in on time, but I knew that the coaching staff [at Harvard] and the admissions person would help me. They did a really good job of helping me along and so did my parents (Alan and Mabel) and some of the staff at PGSS, Kap Manhas, Heather Marren-Reitsma and Renzo Berra."
Lloyd played all of his minor hockey in Prince George and is a graduate of the Cariboo Cougars major midget program. He's now in his third season with the BCHL's Warriors and, this season, has 14 goals and 44 points in 43 games. Those numbers have him third in team scoring, behind Jason Cotton (21 goals, 50 points) and Carl Hesler (17 goals, 46 points).
While playing hockey, Lloyd has also been advancing his education. He takes one course each semester at Kelowna's Okanagan College. Recently, his marketing instructor asked if any students in the room were planning to study at higher levels in the future. Lloyd replied that he would be going to Harvard.
"He kind of laughed at me and said, 'Only serious answers,'" Lloyd said with a chuckle. "I told him I was being serious. I was pleading with him, telling him that I was telling the truth and still, to this day, I don't think he believes me."
If everything goes according to plan, Lloyd will be part of Harvard's graduating class in 2018. While a student there, he will have a portion of his expenses covered.
"[The amount of financial aid] changes from semester to semester," he said. "It's based on parent income... and is a very intricate system but I know that I do get a good chunk paid for."
Students who have scholarships pay an average of $11,500 per year to attend Harvard.
Lloyd admitted he's a little anxious about living in a different country and so far away from home but he's confident he'll be able to meet the academic demands and he can't wait to lace up his skates for the Crimson.
"For my freshman year I want to be a guy who's in the lineup every night and can contribute in all situations," said the five-foot-11, 190-pounder. "[In my] sophomore and junior seasons, I want to be a guy they look to and have big plans for."
West Kelowna coach Rylan Ferster has no doubt Lloyd will make a positive impact as a member of Harvard's hockey program.
"He's a good teammate and he plays a 200-foot game so he's got all the qualities to have success at the next level," said Ferster, whose club currently sits second in the BCHL's Interior Division with a record of 28-12-3-2.
"He's a pretty special kid. I've been here three years and Seb has been here from Day 1. I've seen him come a long, long ways. Everyone looks at him as this big offensive guy but I think Seb has really become a complete player. He's not afraid to get in on the forecheck and he certainly plays well in his own end."
Warriors defenceman Adam Plant will also suit up for Harvard next season. Blueliner Kevin Guiltinan, who spent part of last season with the Prince George Spruce Kings, is currently in his freshman year with the Crimson.
