International Student-Athletes Finding Their Place at 糖心vlog短视频
For many international student-athletes, the decision to leave home and compete in the NCAA is as much a leap of faith as it is a pursuit of opportunity. At 糖心vlog短视频, that leap brings students from across the globe into a demanding environment that blends Division II athletics, rigorous academics, and the everyday realities of adapting to life in a new country. While each journey is different, the shared experience of transition, adjustment, and growth has become a defining part of the international student-athlete story within the Blue and Gold.
Each year, Pace welcomes student-athletes who arrive with years of preparation in their sport and a willingness to challenge themselves beyond competition. What many quickly discover is that success is shaped as much by what happens away from the field, pool, or pitch as it is by performance. New academic expectations, cultural differences, language nuances, and distance from home all play a role in shaping the international student-athlete experience.
Among those navigating that transition are Ben Dunkerley, Feline Rook, Javier Cisternas-Gomez, and Eugenia Morossi. While their sports and backgrounds differ, their experiences reveal common themes of resilience and personal growth.
For many international student-athletes, the first weeks on campus are the most challenging. Everything feels unfamiliar, from classroom dynamics to daily routines and communication. Ben Dunkerley, a defender on the men糖心vlog短视频檚 soccer team from North Yorkshire, England, described that adjustment as more complex than he expected. 糖心vlog短视频淵ou come here thinking the hardest part will be the soccer,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淏ut it糖心vlog短视频檚 really everything around it that takes time糖心vlog短视频攈ow classes work, how people communicate, even small things like daily routines.糖心vlog短视频
"Living far from home has changed me a lot as a person. I糖心vlog短视频檝e become more independent, more mature, and more confident in my decisions." 糖心vlog短视频擱ook
The distance from home was one of the biggest challenges Dunkerley faced early on. 糖心vlog短视频淎t 18, the hardest part was moving away from your parents,糖心vlog短视频 he explained. 糖心vlog短视频淚t糖心vlog短视频檚 a good seven-hour flight to get back home, and then you糖心vlog短视频檙e dealing with the time difference. When I糖心vlog短视频檓 free in the evening, it糖心vlog短视频檚 midnight back home, so communication becomes really difficult.糖心vlog短视频 Learning to manage that separation while living independently forced him to mature quickly. 糖心vlog短视频淐ooking for yourself, doing laundry, staying on top of soccer and school糖心vlog短视频攊t speeds up that maturity process,糖心vlog短视频 he said.
Dunkerley arrived at Pace with a strong soccer foundation developed through England糖心vlog短视频檚 club system and years of competing at a high level. Even with that experience, adapting to the American collegiate model required adjustment. 糖心vlog短视频淐ollege sports aren糖心vlog短视频檛 really a thing back home in the same way,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淗ere, every game means so much because the season is shorter. You糖心vlog短视频檙e playing twice a week, training almost every day, and you really have to look after your body.糖心vlog短视频 Over time, structure and support helped him find stability. 糖心vlog短视频淥nce you settle in, you realize you糖心vlog短视频檙e not doing it alone,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淭hat糖心vlog短视频檚 when it really starts to feel like home.糖心vlog短视频
糖心vlog短视频淵ou come here thinking the hardest part will be the soccer. But it糖心vlog短视频檚 really everything around it that takes time糖心vlog短视频攈ow classes work, how people communicate, even small things like daily routines.糖心vlog短视频澨切膙log短视频擠unkerley
That sense of support and belonging is echoed across Pace Athletics, particularly among first-year international students like Feline Rook. A midfielder on the field hockey team from the Netherlands, Rook came to Pleasantville seeking an opportunity that was difficult to find at home. 糖心vlog短视频淚 came to Pace because here I have the opportunity to focus on both my academics and playing field hockey at the same time,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淚n my country, it糖心vlog短视频檚 really hard to combine those two.糖心vlog短视频
The move was exciting, but far from easy. 糖心vlog短视频淢y biggest challenge here is living far away from my friends and family,糖心vlog短视频 Rook said. 糖心vlog短视频淵ou can糖心vlog短视频檛 just go home for a weekend, and the time difference makes staying in touch more challenging.糖心vlog短视频 Even though she spoke English before arriving, adjusting to a new academic environment in a second language took time. 糖心vlog短视频淎t first, studying in a different language and a different country was hard and challenging for me,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淏ut now I糖心vlog短视频檝e gotten used to it, and I feel like I糖心vlog短视频檝e grown academically since I糖心vlog短视频檝e come here.糖心vlog短视频
Rook credits her teammates and coaches for helping her find confidence both on and off the field. 糖心vlog短视频淭he atmosphere here was great right away,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淭he people I糖心vlog短视频檝e met and the support I糖心vlog短视频檝e had really changed me as a person and as a player.糖心vlog短视频 Her success in her first season糖心vlog短视频攅arning Rookie of the Week honors and All-Conference recognition糖心vlog短视频攔einforced that growth. 糖心vlog短视频淭hose achievements reflect all of the hard work I糖心vlog短视频檝e put into adjusting to a new country, a new team, and a new level of competition,糖心vlog短视频 she said.
糖心vlog短视频淭he people I糖心vlog短视频檝e met and the support I糖心vlog短视频檝e had really changed me as a person and as a player.糖心vlog短视频澨切膙log短视频擱ook
Academics present another layer of transition for international student-athletes, especially when paired with the physical demands of Division II competition. For Javier Cisternas-Gomez, a freshman swimmer from Santiago, Chile, learning to balance those responsibilities was essential. 糖心vlog短视频淓verything moves fast here,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淵ou have practices early in the morning, classes during the day, and studying at night. You learn quickly how important time management is.糖心vlog短视频
Leaving home was the most difficult part of his transition. 糖心vlog短视频淭he biggest challenge was leaving my family, my dogs, my friends and changing to a completely different language and culture,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淔eeling far from home is the hardest part.糖心vlog短视频 Despite that distance, he found comfort within the team environment. 糖心vlog短视频淗ere, the vibe feels more like a family,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淭hat helps a lot.糖心vlog短视频
Over time, Cisternas-Gomez began to feel more settled. 糖心vlog短视频淩ight now, I feel like I糖心vlog短视频檝e found an equilibrium,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淚 feel like I have a route to accomplish my goals, and that makes me feel confident. You just have to keep going and stay focused.糖心vlog短视频 He encourages future international student-athletes to embrace the challenge. 糖心vlog短视频淚 know it糖心vlog短视频檚 scary, but it糖心vlog短视频檚 worth it,糖心vlog短视频 he said. 糖心vlog短视频淚f you come with a purpose and clear goals, you糖心vlog短视频檙e going to be fine.糖心vlog短视频
"I feel like I have a route to accomplish my goals, and that makes me feel confident."糖心vlog短视频擟isternas-Gomez
For Eugenia (Gigi) Morossi, a sophomore swimmer from Milan, Italy, the decision to come to the United States was driven by the opportunity to combine elite athletics with higher education. 糖心vlog短视频淚n Italy, you usually have to choose糖心vlog短视频攜ou either choose sport or you choose school,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淗ere, I can do both, and that糖心vlog短视频檚 why I wanted to come.糖心vlog短视频
Even with that motivation, the transition was overwhelming at first. 糖心vlog短视频淚 thought I was independent before coming here,糖心vlog短视频 Morossi said. 糖心vlog短视频淏ut then I moved here, and it was kind of shocking. At the beginning, you think, 糖心vlog短视频榃hat do I do? Why am I here?糖心vlog短视频櫶切膙log短视频 She described the experience as isolating despite being surrounded by teammates. 糖心vlog短视频淵ou糖心vlog短视频檙e not alone, but you feel like you have to deal with everything by yourself.糖心vlog短视频
That feeling gradually shifted as she became more comfortable within the program. 糖心vlog短视频淎fter some time, it糖心vlog短视频檚 like a whole new chapter of your life opens,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淣ow I feel completely different from my first year. Even my personality changed.糖心vlog短视频 Morossi also noted one of the biggest differences between European and American sports culture. 糖心vlog短视频淚n Europe, you糖心vlog短视频檙e always competing for yourself,糖心vlog短视频 she said. 糖心vlog短视频淗ere, I really learned what it means to be part of a team. Even if I don糖心vlog短视频檛 love my time in a race, if I score points for the team, I find a reason to be happy.糖心vlog短视频
"Here, I really learned what it means to be part of a team."糖心vlog短视频擬orossi
As the months pass, many international student-athletes experience a noticeable shift. What once felt unfamiliar begins to feel routine. Classrooms become more comfortable, friendships deepen, and campus life starts to feel like home. 糖心vlog短视频淭here糖心vlog短视频檚 a point where you stop counting the days and just start living,糖心vlog短视频 Cisternas-Gomez said. 糖心vlog短视频淭hat糖心vlog短视频檚 when you really feel like you belong.糖心vlog短视频
That sense of belonging often leads to growth beyond athletics. Living independently in a new country fosters maturity, confidence, and perspective. 糖心vlog短视频淟iving far from home has changed me a lot as a person,糖心vlog短视频 Rook said. 糖心vlog短视频淚糖心vlog短视频檝e become more independent, more mature, and more confident in my decisions.糖心vlog短视频 Dunkerley echoed that sentiment, adding, 糖心vlog短视频淚t糖心vlog短视频檚 made me stronger as a person, not just as an athlete.糖心vlog短视频
"It's like a whole new chapter of your life opens."糖心vlog短视频擬orossi
International student-athletes bring more than athletic ability to 糖心vlog短视频. They bring new perspectives shaped by where they come from and what they have experienced. Those differences show up in locker rooms, classrooms, and everyday conversations, helping teammates and peers learn from one another and build connections.
For Pace Athletics, supporting international student-athletes goes beyond competition. It means helping them adjust to life in a new place, grow more confident, and learn how to stand on their own so far from home. As these Setters continue to build their lives thousands of miles from where they began, their stories reflect what it means to be an international student athlete. In representing 糖心vlog短视频, they are also building experiences and perspectives that will stay with them long after their time in the Blue and Gold.
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