Yaraslau Slavikouski has been pursuing her dreams since she was 9 years old.

Growing up in Belarus, I 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 led him to cross the ocean, alone, at 17 years old. Now 25, he is pursuing his second master’s degree at Rutgers. He is also chasing a national wrestling championship.

After graduating in economics from Harvard, Slavikouski came to Rutgers Business Schoolwhere he obtained a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Analysis. This year he is studying Financial Analysis. In the meantime, he continues to train at a weight of 245, in a class with a maximum of 280 pounds.

“I’ve improved a lot since last season,” he said of wrestling. “It took me 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 training. I have 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 your academic career. With the help of several people, led by his brother, Slavikouski was able to enroll at Northfield Mount Hermon in the town of Gill, Mass. In high school he would be a three-time New England champion and, combined with his academic success, he 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 by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. His achievements those years also included being part of the Belarus national team and placing third in the European Championship.

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

“The Big Ten is obviously a bigger beast,” he said, comparing it to the Ivy League schedule. “Every week there is a very high level of competition. All the guys give you a run for your money. They fight hard and compete with you. “It’s just not the same.”

“It has improved” Coach Scott Goodale he said before a practice. “He does it very differently; He’s so fucking quiet. Can he win it all? Any given day, of course. “He’s good enough to do that.”

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

“We’ve become very close,” he said. “He has dinner on Sundays 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 origins,” he said. “I didn’t have anything fancy growing up. My parents divorced when I was very young, but that didn’t really affect 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 talk to each other every day.”

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

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

He also has a university degree and currently works in chemical engineering for a mining company in Minsk.

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

Of course, the focus is on attending classes and practicing.

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

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

“Balancing that with wrestling is obviously a challenge, but it’s not the first year I’ve done it, so I’ve managed it so far.”

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

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

“I know I’m going to put in all the effort and work as hard as I can to make this happen. I have confidence in myself and my preparation. I am a competitor. “I don’t want to say I’m a bad loser,” he said, smiling, “but I don’t like losing.”

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