Sending your son or daughter to a different country to continue his or her academic and athletic career can be challenging and stressful for parents. I can not be more thankful for all the unconditional support my parents have given me. My mom, Diana Felici, helped me during the stressful recruiting process, and even though she was worried about sending me to a different country she knew it was the best for me and for my future. I could have not made it without her help–I can say that as an international student from Mexico studying at Rollins College has been one of the best decisions of my life so far.
To help illustrate the unique process of recruiting abroad and the benefits it can have for international athletes like me, I sat down with my mom to talk about how she experienced this process and what she did to make it successful.
- Why did you send me abroad?
Because I believe that the opportunity to be able to study in another country opens a wider panorama for a young adult's life while they have to leave their comfort zone to take care of themselves, adapt to another culture and learn in another language among other skills that will be extremely important for their future.
Related: 15 Questions International Athletes Must Ask During the Recruiting Process
- What was the hardest part of this decision?
The hardest part was choosing which college would be the best fit and of course letting [you] go knowing that we were going to miss [you] so much.
- Do you think it was a good decision to send me to continue my academic and athletic career in the U.S.? Why?
Without a doubt, it has been a great decision, I have seen my daughter grow, now [you are] more responsible, [you have] learned to measure risks and take care of [your] self, [your] English has improved a lot, [you have] managed to make a very good group of friends, [you have] adapted to the level of demand of the training and has improved athletically, but above all I see [you] happy, enjoying this opportunity and making a lot of academic progress and taking advantage of all the opportunities studying in the U.S. has to offer.
- Do you think I made the right decision choosing Rollins? Why?
We looked at several options and I think [you have] done well in large part because [you] made the right choice. Rollins is an excellent university for [your] career (international business) and has a team that matches his competitive level. Also, Rollins has a good number of international students with whom [you have] created a good group of friends.
Related: Rate Rollins College
- Do you give your opinion when I had to decide which school I would be attending? Why? Did it help?
I was present throughout [your] recruiting and selection process, I gave my opinion about the options [you] had, I always tried to base my opinion on the factors that I thought would be important for [you] to feel happy. I always supported the options where there were more international students, where the weather was less cold and where [you] could feel [like] an important member of the team.
- Were you stressed during the recruiting process?
Yes, the recruitment process can be very stressful for international students and their families because we are not familiar with the recruiting process, neither academic nor athletic. I consider it necessary to seek a lot of information and qualified advice that can guide athletes through the process.
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits
- How did you support me during the recruiting process?
We talked a lot about the options [you] had. I was always looking for the necessary information about universities, teams and coaches either in books, the internet or even contacting people or companies that could give us valuable information and advice to make the best decision.
- How are you supporting me now that I am away from home?
I try to be present as much as possible in this new stage, we make time to call each other by FaceTime, almost every day, and we talk about school, [your] subjects, training, [your] friends and everything that happens in [your] life.
- What advice would you give to parents thinking about sending their son or daughter to the U.S.?
To parents of international student-athletes I would give 2 pieces of advice:
The first is that if they thought that their kid might study abroad it is because they know that they are capable of taking advantage of that wonderful challenges, so my first piece of advice is to trust that their children are capable of starting to direct their lives, make their decisions, take responsibility for their actions and live up to the level of demand that is required. The second is to keep in touch with them as much as possible, accompanying them in this process of growing up.
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* Originally published on August 15, 2022, by Camila Cramer
