Student-Athletes Bring International Influence to Bluefield
Bluefield University is home to many students from different backgrounds, in particular a variety of international students who come to Bluefield to play a sport while pursuing their college degree.
BU is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and because of the way the NAIA is set up, international students find it easy to continue playing their sport at the collegiate level at Bluefield. In fact, BU is home to students from 32 states across America and 16 countries around the world.
These international student-athletes have an immense impact on the campus community with their presence. They each have a different influence on the field and in the classroom, and they each have various reasons as to why they came to America for college. Nathaly Granda, a player on the women’s soccer team who is originally from Ecuador, spoke about her motivation to come to Bluefield Univeristy.
“The study opportunities,” Granda said, “because they are advanced compared to my country, but my main motivation was knowing that I could play the sport that I love.”
Members of the men’s soccer team, which has a wide range of players from different countries, spoke about their experience with BU and athletic program. Denzel Dzokamushure, from Zimbabwe, shared his motivation for coming to the United States for education and athletics.
“I chose to come to the United States for my education because I always dreamed of being a professional soccer player,” he said. “After graduating high school, I initially wanted to go to Europe to pursue soccer, but my parents advised me to focus on both academics and athletics. This led us to explore options that would allow me to balance both, and after much research we determined that the U.S. offered the best opportunities for student-athletes.”
Both Granda and Dzokamushure both shared that while the academic environment in the U.S. isn’t as strict as their home country, it is more understanding and lenient, creating greater support for students to succeed.
The Swedish captain of the men’s soccer team, Adam Gymnander, shared similar experiences of Granda and Dzokamushure. He also spoke about the social aspect of coming to a new country and how the “easiest and best way of making friends was through soccer.”
For all three, the biggest difficulty about being so far from their home country has been the separation from family and adjusting to that lack of connection, but Gymnander said the supportive BU campus community has helped with that.
“It grows on you, especially the community and the people,” he said. “I have never struggled to get help, and many people have offered to take me home with them, so I am not lonely on holidays.”
Granda offered her own advice for other international student-athletes.
“Don’t be closed off to learning new things from different cultures,” she said. Dzokamushure agreed implored other international athletes to “embrace the experience.”
“Don’t be afraid to be away from home,” he said. “I have no regrets; this journey has helped my personal growth and broadened my understanding of different cultures.”
Their talent athletically and cultural uniqueness can be seen throughout campus, and with the coming of new students from new cultures the depth of Bluefield University’s character will continue to deepen.