A FORMER UST Teletiger will get to showcase his talents in the United States after he was offered a full scholarship to join Harrisburg University’s eSports team.
Faculty of Engineering sophomore Michael James “Maykel” Gonzales secured a slot at the Harrisburg University Science and Technology University in Pennsylvania after he applied for the scholarship during the try-outs last June.
The 20-year-old League of Legends (LoL) player will assume the spot of bottom laner for its esports team, Harrisburg University said.
Our next addition to the League team is no stranger to the collegiate AND international stage.
9 years of experience will make Maykel a star on our bottom lane ⚡ pic.twitter.com/Zqm5QblkbJ
— HU Storm ⚡️ (@HUStormEsports) August 15, 2021
Gonzales said that his three-year stint with the Teletigers was a key factor that opened this opportunity for a scholarship internationally.
“The Teletigers community has helped me throughout my esports career, I would not get or be able to have this opportunity if they did not get me from the team,” Gonzales, the ex-jungler of the Teletigers, told the Varsitarian.
TGR Maykel said that in his nine years of experience playing LoL, the Teletigers taught him the value of teamwork, hard work, and discipline.
“The lessons that I could take from my previous team is by valuing teamwork where everyone should trust each other and work together,” he said.
“Another is through hard work. I believe that I can achieve anything when I practice a lot. The last would be discipline. I learn from my mistakes and develop consistency.”
Gonzales joined the Teletigers in 2018 and got to represent the country thrice in the International Esports Festival against top universities in Asia the past few years.
He was also part of the Teletigers LoL team which won various competitions such as Alliance League Summer LoL, AcadArena 2019 National Championship LoL, and National Campus Open: LoL 2020.
The Electronics Engineering major was confident that his experiences in playing three international tournaments and winning titles locally gave him an edge over other players who also applied for try-outs.
Playing for a US-based team, Gonzales admitted that he needs to understand and adapt to the most effective tactics available (meta) being played in the states as “the playstyle in their region is different.”
“I’ll watch a lot of videos regarding bottom lane, and understanding the current meta. I played bottom lane last tournament and I’m confident with my skill,” he said.
Gonzales is set to file a leave of absence from the Faculty of Engineering to pursue his scholarship. James Paul R. Gomez
