Class of 2026: From changing a team’s success to changing the lives of others

When Omar Mehisen looks back at his time at Indiana University Northwest, he sees a soccer team that didn’t give up, even when the odds were against them.

Mehisen was recruited to the soccer team as a freshman, but the program back then barely resembled what it is today.

“The program had only existed for a few years when I joined,” Mehisen said. “We didn’t have a coach, so the athletic director was our coach.”

But as time progressed, so did the team. The following year, the team got their own coach, and their outcomes only improved from there. Year after year, they trained, improved and set off on an upward trajectory toward success. Though Mehisen said there’s always room to keep improving, the difference between now and where they started is significant.

“We’re able to be competitive against teams that, when I first joined, we had no chance against,” Mehisen said. “Then we made the conference playoffs. It’s crazy to see how far this has come.”

Despite dedicating so much time to soccer, Mehisen stayed committed to academic excellence as he worked toward his biology degree. In fact, he was recognized on the 2024-2025 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) All-Academic Team for his exceptional academic achievement.

As he gears up to graduate, Mehisen hopes to take his love of sports into the professional world. He knows the work it takes to succeed as an athlete and, with a biology degree in hand, he plans to attend graduate school for physical therapy.

“I want to go into sports physical therapy,” he said, “It’s nice seeing all the young athletes come in and see them progress through their recovery.”

Mehisen is already gaining experience as a physical therapy aid. He works directly with a therapist who specializes in sports injuries, and he’s had opportunities to see all aspects of the job.

“I’m managing stuff, cleaning and guiding people through their workouts — just being a helping hand,” he said.

Today, Mehisen gets to use the skills he’s already learned to help patients in the community, but he wouldn’t be where he is without the support of folks he met at IUN.

“My favorite part of IUN is having a closer relationship with my peers and professors,” he said. “I feel like if I were at another school, I wouldn’t get that experience as much. It’s nice to be able to go to them for help and have small study groups.”

Support is a theme throughout Mehisen’s time at IUN, whether it was him being supported by his peers or Mehisen supporting his teammates on the soccer field. Ultimately, Mehisen is hopeful that he’ll one day be able to offer that same support to young athletes through physical therapy.

Read more about IU Northwest’s 2026 graduates.