Finn Kramer ‘25 grew up in Bethesda, Md. until the fourth grade when he and his family moved out west to San Francisco. He attended middle school out West and was accepted to St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco. After completing his freshman year at St. Ignatius, a Jesuit school in San Francisco, he moved back to DC and enrolled as a transfer student at Gonzaga. 

“I was a little nervous when I learned that I was moving back to D.C.,” Kramer said. “I was nervous about transitioning to a new school, especially because I didn’t really know anyone except for some kids I went to elementary school with.” 

Despite being nervous, Kramer decided the best way to adjust to his new school would be by joining some clubs and playing some sports. He joined the cross country team and the track team his sophomore year. His first year as a Gonzaga student started when the cross country team held its first official practice in early August of 2022. 

“I remember meeting him for the first time; it was a humid morning, and we were doing our warm ups. This kid walked up to me and started to introduce himself. He said his name was Finn and he was a transfer. He seemed a little nervous but eager to join the Gonzaga family,” said teammate Nate Gretschel 24’ . 

Despite being anxious, the transition proved to be fairly easy for Kramer. He was open to participating in the Gonzaga community by signing up for clubs and activities. Another aspect that made the school switch easier for him was that he transferred from a Jesuit school. This made the atmosphere of Gonzaga very similar to that of St. Ignatius. Kramer was also able to succeed academically at Gonzaga, finding the curriculums at the two schools to be very similar. The hardest part for Finn was leaving all of his old friends behind in San Francisco. 

“The hardest part in the beginning was just having most of my friends in San Francisco. I didn’t enjoy having to make new ones here, but everyone was really nice to me and people would try to get me involved in anything,” Kramer said. 

Despite this challenge, Kramer was able to fit in well at Gonzaga. He found all of the teachers and students to be supportive. He said that it was also special to go to school across the street from the Capitol. Some small adjustments he had to make were getting rowdy for football games, (at least more rowdy than he was used to) taking the Metro and surviving the hot summers. 

When he was asked if he prefers Gonzaga or St. Ignatius, he said, “Even though I can see the beach from SI, the culture at Gonzaga and the gusto from the students has made me fall in love with this place.”