The International Student-Athlete Experience
Featuring three international student-athletes and their journeys to wearing the orange and black!
Training truly never ends for Pacific student-athletes. Hailing from different parts of the world, their commitment to their athletics is unrivaled. With big dreams and goals, their time at Pacific is only a stepping stone, albeit one they worked to obtain for years. Fulfilling the demands of a student-athlete is difficult enough when the culture is familiar, yet these three athletes faced the demands of acclimating to living in a new country alongside these requirements. Not only this but moving to college, for two of them, meant moving across an ocean, not just state to state. The schedule of an athlete already limits travel and time at home, and international student-athletes must not only take their competition calendar into consideration but also the fact that their home is thousands of miles away. Despite the distance in their lives, the light of these student-athletes shines off and on the athletic field. Each of them impacts the Pacific community as if they were born and raised next door. Pacific has truly become their home away from home.
Libby Davy just finished her first year at Pacific and hails all the way from South Australia. On the women’s soccer team, she appeared in 14 games, 13 of which she started in. She led the team’s goalkeepers in minutes, even earning a shutout against conference foe Fresno State. Reflecting on her experience as an international student-athlete thus far, Davy said that “The college system in the US is unique in the way it provides athletes like myself with the opportunity to study and play sports at a high level simultaneously.” She added that she aspires to play professionally, and playing for Pacific is a step toward this goal. For Davy, the best part of her time as a Tiger is her friends, saying, “There is nothing more fulfilling than connection, and Pacific has given me just that.” She also added that she has found it difficult to make time for herself, but that dedicating some alone time each day helps with this. Though there are of course differences between home and Pacific for Davy, “The interconnection between all aspects of life at Pacific is very convenient and allows [her] to manage [her] time commitments really easily.” When asked what advice she would give to other international athletes, Davy said, “Soak everything up! A mentality I have adopted since I arrived is to sit back, observe, and take in as much information as possible. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason - be curious by asking questions but try to listen more than you talk.”
On the women’s basketball team, Stella Szabo also just finished her first year as a Tiger. From Stockholm, Sweden she took a redshirt year, but has already enjoyed her joining of the Pacific program. In the coming years, she will no doubt make an impact on the court too. Szabo said she has always dreamed of playing basketball at a collegiate level, and that “The people at Pacific was actually what had [her] commit.” Looking back, Szabo said, “In the beginning, the most difficult thing moving to the States was to adjust to the school system. It wasn’t that school was harder but it was another tempo, another language, and I had to figure out ways to plan out the school work more as well as balance that with basketball.” She’s also had highlights already; the team’s trip to Spain stands out in her memory. In a comparison of her two homes, Szabo said, “In Sweden, people are usually very reserved, they mind their own business and people do not really small talk with people they do not know. But when I came here to Pacific I was a little shocked over how open, nice, helpful, and welcoming everyone was!” Her biggest advice is to “ask for help,” saying, “because it is a big adjustment to move to another country with another culture so asking for help is definitely something that I wish I did earlier!”
Last but not least, Joelyn Abougoush also recently concluded her first year on the beach volleyball team. As an international student-athlete, she embarked on her journey from Calgary, Alberta Canada. Abougoush finds her roots as a Tiger in her family as her parents were in the same graduating class at Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Abougoush said, “My goal is to follow in their footsteps and eventually attain the privilege to work alongside them.” For her, the most difficult thing about moving to the U.S. has been missing home, but she also says, “Luckily, Pacific’s athletic program has provided me with a home away from home which has helped with these challenges.” She is immensely grateful for the opportunity to play beach volleyball as she has “met some amazing girls and has fostered lifelong friendships.” Considering what advice she would offer to another international student-athlete, and really any student, Abougoush said to find an outlet from academics, saying that, “Pacific has a plethora of opportunities for all of their students including intramural sports, multiple types of clubs, greek life and much more. There is something for everyone so it is important to branch out, develop friendships, and find your passion. University is not just about academics, find things that you enjoy doing and develop yourself as an individual.”
No matter what, these international student-athletes are still training to carry their first-year successes into their continued careers as Pacific Tigers. With their international experiences differing, they each share an individual perspective, just as they have each impacted their respective teams already!