Mohamed Diop lives a dual life as a grad student and professional gamer
For those who love playing video games, Mohamed Diop is living the dream. By day, Diop is working towards a masterās degree at theĀ Max Bell School of Public Policy. But in his spare time, heās a professional gamer specializing in EA Sports FC, a soccer videogame franchise. He represents D.C. United in theĀ Ā (the e-sports version of Major League Soccer) and goes by the username KingCJ0.
āIāve been balancing school and e-sports since I was in high school,ā he said.
Since then, heās competed in North American championships, qualified for the FIFAe World Cup and enjoyed perks such as attending the actual FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Heās also earned a degree in Finance, interned at the United Nations, and developed a passion for tackling inequality and supporting sustainable development.
āMy e-sports career gave me early exposure to very different political and social systems,ā said Diop. āIām here at ŠćÉ«Ö±²„ because I want to make a positive change in the world.ā
Great expectations
Diop grew up in South Africa as an avid soccer fan: he watched it on television, played it for fun, and his favourite video game was FIFA (now EA Sports FC).
Soon he was gaming every day, which his parents allowed, as long as his schoolwork came first. At 14 he won his first tournament, complete with a cash prize. He was then scouted to represent one of Africaās biggest soccer clubs as an e-sports athlete. When he moved to the U.S. to attend Rutgers University, he transferred to D.C. United.
His e-sports salary covers the cost of his studies, but āthe team expects a lot from me,ā said Diop, who plays for hours a day when his schedule allows. āAs one of the top players, they want to see me in the finals competing for trophies, so there are high expectations.ā
While at Rutgers, he made it to the Deanās List as well as the eMLS finals. Now at ŠćÉ«Ö±²„, heās still balancing academics and e-sports and continues to excel at both.
āIāve always made sure Iām able to perform in both sectors because itās important to me, and Iāll continue as long as I feel capable of coping with the pressure of competing at the highest level,ā he said.
āThis unconventional route has allowed to pursue my dreams and passions, and study at a global institution like ŠćÉ«Ö±²„. Itās led to a lot of big moments, but I hope there are more big moments to come.ā
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