Leader in Progress: Akira Bonfinger Speaks on Mental Health, Professional Growth

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Some leaders are born, some are called and others find their way to the role through continued experience in a field. For select athletes, that may manifest itself as captaining the teams they represent. For others, like Seton Hall men's soccer midfielder Akira Bofinger, personal drive and belief from others can lead to leadership roles.

For Bofinger, a junior from Summit, New Jersey, his introduction to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) by former teammates Axel Berglund and Konstantin Donalies changed everything for him. "It was a cool place that I wanted to keep coming back to week after week." Bofinger shared. "I really enjoyed being able to engage with other athletes off the field and listen to what they had to say."

Inevitably, those interactions pushed the junior to look inward and realize the work that could be done regarding athlete mental health. More than anything else, he realized, based on his experiences, how mental health can be affected when expectations do not meet reality. "For many people, their sport is the most important thing in their entire life," Bofinger pointed out. "When one aspect of someone's life is such a big part of their identity, the management of their mental health should be even more important."

Before arriving at Seton Hall in 2024, Bofinger had a memorable soccer career. He not only won the 2021 NJISSA Group 3 State Title as part of Summit's soccer roster, even scoring in the title game, but was also a team captain and four-time All-Northeast ECNL selection. Yet, entering his third season in South Orange, Bofinger is looking to assert himself on this roster full of fresh faces and earn more minutes. "I didn't play my freshman year, but I played some last year," the junior shared candidly. "I'd obviously love to play more, but I know I can contribute off the pitch as well."

Ultimately, Bofinger sees the chance to be the person his teammates talk to if they are struggling. "Despite being here only two years, I am one of the most senior players on this team," he shared, highlighting the immense roster turnover the team has seen over the last two offseasons. "It's crazy to think about. At the same time, I hope it makes my teammates feel comfortable talking to me about things. Even in just the smallest setting, like the locker room, if I can be there for them, I know I can help."

Over the last year, that desire to impact his team caught the eye of Seton Hall's Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development Nicole Gaudenzi. Through her first-hand experience with Bofinger as part of SAAC faculty, she saw potential in the young midfielder. "I see something in the kid," Gaudenzi shared, "I think he has the potential to do amazing things." She noted that, together, they have been exploring ways to create mental health safe spaces for athletes. These talks are not exclusively about physical spaces, but also involve potentially automatic referrals to sports psychologists or other professionals who could help the athletes who need it most.

All these experiences coalesced this summer when the opportunity arose for one of the Pirates' student-athletes to attend the inaugural Student-Athlete Civic Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by American University. Reflecting on past conversations with Bofinger and his desire to seek new opportunities, Gaudenzi jumped at offering him the chance to attend, which he accepted.

Alongside 11 other student-athletes from across the country, Bofinger descended on D.C. for the two-day summit in late July looking to better themselves and the world. "We heard from a lot of different speakers - those with experience in civic leadership, authors, business leaders – all of whom were engaging in different ways." Among the eclectic cast of speakers, one stuck out most to the junior: Ezra Zwaeli, the former Director of Speechwriting for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. For Bofinger, the most important thing Zwaeli helped them work on was being concise. "When we were talking about things we wanted to work on, he helped us boil our ideas down and frame them into accessible, achievable items and concepts."
Now back on campus for the fall semester, Bofinger is looking forward to his future both on and off the pitch. He will continue working towards his degrees in mathematical finance and Japanese, as well as being a bigger part of the men's soccer roster. Additionally, he has also committed to taking a more active role with SAAC this year after his self-described "introductory year." What comes in all those fields in the coming months remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: whatever he achieves will not surprise those who know him.