Athlete Ambassador Ousseni Bouda: The Winning Combination of Athletics and Academics

Fresh off scoring a goal in the San Jose Earthquakes’ dominant 4-0 season-opening win, Ousseni Bouda sat down with us to reflect on his journey—one that stretches far beyond the soccer field. 

Born in Burkina Faso, Bouda’s path has taken him from the Right to Dream academy in Ghana to a standout collegiate career at Stanford, and now, to Major League Soccer. But for Bouda, success isn’t just about goals and victories; it’s about education, opportunity, and giving back. As an ACCESS U Athlete Ambassador, he’s committed to using his platform to inspire young athletes—whether in East Palo Alto, where he mentors local youth, or back home in Burkina Faso, where he provides resources for aspiring players. 

In this conversation, Bouda shares how academics and soccer have shaped his life, why finishing his degree was non-negotiable, and how he hopes to uplift the next generation.

Q: How did you get to where you are today?

A: I was born in Burkina Faso and grew up playing soccer there. Soccer has always been a passion of mine, but I have a mom who really cares about my education as well; so from an early age, I’ve had to focus on both. I’ve always wanted to be a professional soccer player, but actually my academics have taken me further in life–and given me opportunities in soccer, especially when I came to the US [because] here . . . they go hand-in-hand.

So, I got recruited by the Right to Dream academy and moved to Ghana at 11 [years old]. With the support of Right to Dream, I continued to try to excel both in soccer and in school. After four years or so, we made the decision for me to go to the U.S. and attend prep school in New York, where I spent four amazing years at the Millbrook School. 

When considering colleges, I sought an academically challenging university; at the same time, I had aspirations to play professionally so I needed a school that would allow me a chance to do both. Now, Stanford had just won three national championships in a row, and I knew they would provide the education along with the competition that I wanted. I was fortunate enough to be scouted at ID camps–and have the grades to match–so I committed and enrolled at Stanford. After just a couple seasons there, I got drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes. And, here we are today.

Q: Following your draft to the Earthquakes, you left Stanford but didn’t exactly leave your academic pursuits behind. Can you tell us what happened with your degree?

A: When I left Stanford, I had about one full year of school remaining before I could earn my degree. Since I was close enough to the campus, I continued to take afternoon and evening classes–after practices. I was able to finish everything and graduate in 2022. 

Q: You’ve underscored how important academics are to you, but a lot of people in a similar situation might have chosen to abandon their schooling and instead focus only on playing professionally. What motivated you to finish your degree while also playing in the MLS? 

A: There’s two things here. One, I was extremely lucky to be drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes. Being so close to Stanford gave me the opportunity to go to campus and continue to take classes. The second thing is I’ve always wanted to finish and have a degree. Soccer is a short career, and there’s a lot of life left after that. I want to make sure that I can continue to excel generally, in all areas, and open doors and opportunities for myself. I think if you’re fortunate enough to go to college, and you have the chance to finish, you definitely should. 

Also, my whole life, I’ve always been juggling school and soccer–so it felt like it would be unfinished business if I didn’t graduate. For me, it would be like only fulfilling half of my potential if I didn’t try and see what kind of opportunities beyond soccer that I can provide for myself.

Q: What was that time in your life like–balancing practices, games, evening classes, weekend homework?

A: It took a lot of discipline, a lot of sacrifice, and a lot of time management. Of course, I didn't want my classes to affect my performances on the field so I had to plan ahead. When we travel, for instance, I would miss a lot of classes. So I had to plan ahead to make sure I got the notes, got the work done, and didn’t fall behind. It was a lot of planning to try and manage both.

I also had to give up a bit of social life. However, I knew that I only had to do it for about a year, and then I would get a Stanford degree for the rest of my life. So it was a sacrifice that was well worth it. 

Q: It sounds like it was not the easiest transition for you, but you were able to navigate it pretty well. Of course, you’re no stranger to major transitions: moving from Burkina Faso, where you’re from, to Ghana, where you trained with Right to Dream, to New York, where you attended high school, then to the Bay area. Can you share about your experiences at each of these pivotal points? 

A: Moving from Burkina Faso to Ghana–even though they’re two West African countries–may have been harder than Ghana to New York. The cultures between Burkina and Ghana are more similar than Ghana [as compared] to the U.S., but I experienced those at different ages. 

At 11, I didn’t know how to do anything and relied on my mom for everything. It was the first time I left the country. I went [to Ghana] and didn’t speak English; I only spoke French and a couple of languages from Burkina Faso. Everything was totally different, down to the food as well. So that took some adjustment, for sure. But, obviously soccer is a universal language and something that brings people together. Right to Dream had resources that allowed me to adapt quickly, learn English and things, but in a way I had to grow up quickly as well. 

When I moved to New York, I was a little older and a little more mature after spending several years at Right to Dream. Again, their resources in the U.S. helped me here, too. I was really grateful to attend Millbrook, where I had a lot of support from teachers to advisors to everything in between. The students were so nice to me, which helped make the transition easier. On the soccer team, those guys became my best friends almost immediately. So it was actually a very exciting transition for me to make as I adapted to life in the U.S. 

Then, moving from New York to Stanford was also really different in its own way. Millbrook is a very small school – we had probably 350 students in the entire school – so Stanford exposed me to a bigger space with many more people. The soccer team basically operated like a professional team, which was also different from Millbrook. I had to get a new routine and exercise more discipline in this higher achieving environment. As you can imagine, academics at Stanford are very rigorous, so I had to spend a lot of time studying and adapt to this new lifestyle while still balancing sports as well. 

Q: I imagine each of these stages and places have played a role in shaping who you are and how you see yourself. How do you wrestle with identity and representation, amid all of this growth and change? 

A: I think for a couple of years in the past, I’ve battled with this whole identity thing: How do I figure out exactly who I am and what I want to do in life? What is my path? It’s something that I struggled with. You know, there’s a lifestyle and expectation that people have about “typical” soccer players from Africa, but I’m not the typical one. I didn’t match the expectations that some people had towards me–some people [from home] didn’t understand why I was pursuing university instead of trying to start playing professionally as soon or early as I could. I had to explain that I have a bigger vision to combine my academics and my passion for soccer together. 

Also, I’ve had to navigate a generally different perspective just by having lived in the U.S. after coming from Burkina Faso. You just can’t help both cultures filtering into you and becoming part of you as well. So then my expectations of myself are different, too. 

I matured a little more as I got a little older. I [now] know I’m in full control of my life, the vision I have for myself, and the path I want to take towards the goals that I have. When I was younger, I just wasn’t sure; there was so much uncertainty about what path I could take, what I wanted life to look like. But some of these questions answered themselves over time. I learned that the answers will come to you when you need to make those decisions. 

Q: Speaking of goals, passions, and futures, can you tell me about some of your off-the-field pursuits and community building efforts?

A: Near Stanford there is a community called East Palo Alto, where I’ve been involved since college. Since signing with the San Jose Earthquakes, I’ve kept it up; we actually brought a group of close to 80 kids to our recent game. They got to watch the game, and then I spoke with them afterward as well. We have organized some training sessions, working with them, giving them advice, and trying to inspire them. 

I tell them they can be like me–or, better than me. I relate to them in so many ways. It’s a lot of Black and Latino kids and sometimes, there's a lack of opportunity there. I was lucky to be seen by Right to Dream, but otherwise there is a lot of potential that’s lost in those communities and those kids. But they need to believe. Sometimes, seeing someone like them makes them believe more, helps them picture and envision who they want to be.  

Every year when I go back home to Burkina Faso, I try to gather soccer cleats, jerseys, and soccer balls to donate to kids to encourage them to keep playing soccer. 

I have bigger plans in the future to try and create a non-profit organization, too. I want it to be something that encourages kids in Burkina Faso to take their education seriously, help them navigate, and give them a better path forward. I want to try to inspire them and teach them the importance of education, even while pursuing their dreams of becoming professional soccer players. Why not both? A lot of kids in Burkina Faso think if they want to become a professional soccer player, they have to stop going to school. Or, if they want to be a lawyer, they have to stop playing soccer. So if we can have this new outlook of being able to see how both things add value to your life, there’s no need to give one up. 

I’ve realized that my education and intellectual development has helped me in soccer as well. It has truly opened doors for me: While at Stanford, I was able to play at a high level and get drafted. So we should not only focus on one or the other.       

Q: A lot of what ACCESS U does is help students do both: using soccer as a vehicle for debt-free higher education, especially for student-athletes who would otherwise be overlooked by the system. What has your experience with ACCESS U been? 

A: I met Brad [who co-founded ACCESS U] through a mutual friend. I’ve gotten to know him and more about his work, and I really like the vision and goals that ACCESS U has. It has some similarities to my story and Right to Dream. . . While my story hasn’t been directly impacted through ACCESS U, it’s a project that I respect a lot. So I’m excited to be named as ACCESS U’s newest athlete ambassador. 

Inspiring the next generation is something I’m really passionate about. I don’t think I’m “there” yet–wherever “there” is. But at 24 years old, I think there is something valuable that I can offer. If I could advise a younger me, I think I would’ve benefitted from seeing something like this. So I’m happy to be involved. 

Q: Is there anything else you want to share? 

A: I would just say the biggest thing is the community: the people around to support kids as we navigate through this journey. For me, I’ve been very lucky to have people from back home, Right to Dream, Millbrook, and Stanford. These are great institutions with clear values, and I’ve been able to just surrender as they’ve impacted my life and created a pathway for me. 

If I could give advice to the next generation–especially if they’re lucky enough to be part of a program like Right to Dream or ACCESS U, for example–it would be to use the resources and allow ACCESS U to help you. As simple as that sounds, it’s the best advice I can give.