Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
Harrison McGriff’s Uncharted Journey
At first glance, the rodeo arena and international law seem worlds apart. But 23-year-old Harrison McGriff’s life defies the ordinary.
One week he’s gearing up for a bull ride in Alabama; the next, he’s catching waves in Costa Rica.
From homeschooling in a small town to studying political science with global ambitions, McGriff’s path is anything but typical.
Now a senior at the University of West Alabama, McGriff has spent his life chasing new skills and purpose—through competitive swimming, flying lessons, surfing, learning new languages, studying political science, and most recently, immersing himself in Spanish and Latin American culture.
“I’ve always wanted more than the traditional path,” McGriff says. “Homeschooling gave me the flexibility to pursue opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible in a traditional school setting.”
That flexibility opened doors early. McGriff began swimming at age five and joined a competitive swim team two years later. By ten he had enrolled in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets, aspiring to a military career.
At just eight years old, inspired by his swim coach’s wife, who taught Mandarin Chinese, he began learning the language, which is said to be one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn. This was an early sign of the global curiosity that would shape his future.
His passion for travel was sparked through swim competitions and deepened through his later involvement in rodeo, where he loved meeting people from different backgrounds outside his small hometown of Slocomb, Alabama.
In ninth grade, McGriff and his mother relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, so he could attend Admiral Farragut Academy, a prestigious international boarding school. Surrounded by students from around the world, McGriff found his worldview expanding, igniting an even greater desire to travel and explore.
Eager to finish high school early, he began taking dual-credit classes at nearby St. Petersburg Community College. He also ventured into the rodeo scene and bull riding. After attending bull riding school, McGriff knew he had discovered a new passion. He returned to Alabama, homeschooled, and continued to earn college credits through Enterprise State Community College while diving deeper into rodeo. It wasn’t long before UWA Rodeo Coach Daniel Poole took notice.
Over the past four years at UWA, McGriff has continued bull riding and added bronc riding to his skill set. Academically, he’s found his niche in politics and justice studies, with minors in business administration and Spanish.
His interest in Spanish began with a rodeo buddy from Guatemala, who spoke no English upon arriving in the U.S. The two began teaching each other their native languages. McGriff soon realized he had an affinity for languages which has dovetailed nicely with his interest in international law.
When he discovered he couldn’t fulfill the Spanish minor requirements at UWA, his Spanish instructor, Ms. Carla Gray, introduced him to the Maximo Livel program. It was through this program that McGriff spent 12 weeks this past summer studying Spanish in Peru and Costa Rica earning the academic credits he needed while immersing himself in Latin American language and culture.
While in Cusco, Peru, McGriff also landed an internship with the Attorney General’s office, spending four hours each morning at the office, followed by four hours of Spanish classes in the afternoon. “Even better, my host dad was a chef, so I got to sample incredible local cuisine.”
In addition to his studies, McGriff explored Peru’s natural and historic landmarks, including Machu Picchu, the iconic 15th-century Incan citadel nestled in the Andes Mountains, and Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) known for its vivid stripes created by 14 different colorful minerals. As recently as 2013, the mountain was not visible due to permanent snow cover.
From Peru, McGriff flew to Costa Rica, spending three weeks studying Spanish in the capital, San José, before traveling to Manuel Antonio, a popular coastal resort district for the final six weeks of language school.
As he enters his final year at UWA, McGriff is already looking ahead to graduation next May.
“Right now, my plan is to take the LSAT in February. I want to take a gap year, keep competing in the rodeo circuit, travel across the country in my camper, and visit as many countries as I can,” he notes.
Confident he’s positioned himself well for the future, McGriff appreciates the flexibility he’s built into his plans. “I haven’t placed all my eggs in one basket, that’s for sure,” he says. “When I was in Costa Rica, I met a guy who is a lawyer and owns several businesses. He told me once I earned my law degree to come work for him. I’ve kept in touch, so who knows, I may end up working for him some day.”