Come back every Thursday for Athlete Interviews on college recruiting and advice.

The decision to transfer to a different athletic program is one that many college athletes consider after entering the world of college athletics and having experiences that did not quite meet their expectations. Today, we will sit down with someone who has not only had to go through the transfer process once, but twice. 

Hawaii native, Tiana Ono, started her collegiate soccer career at the University of Nevada-Reno and transferred to a junior college after her freshman year. After completing her sophomore year at the JUCO in Washington, she transferred back to a DI soccer program, at Long Island University in New York. 

Related: Rate the University of Nevada-Reno

Although she was able to adventure to three different states and meet many new teammates, there were challenges she faced as a two-time transfer student. We spoke with her about some of the difficult obstacles she faced, and questioned her on her overall experience with the transfer process:

1. What was the number one reason you decided to transfer?

I was a walk on and was promised [scholarship] money if I played well my freshman season so I decided to commit there. After accumulating the most minutes out of the freshman class, I was not offered any money at the end of the season so I decided to leave. 

2. Do you regret your decision to go to a junior college for your sophomore year?

Yes. It was a decision that I rushed into because I was stressed about my student loans but it all worked out in the end. 

3. How did your family react when you told them you wanted to transfer?

They were supportive, just really surprised. 

4. How did your coach react when you told them you wanted to transfer?

They were surprised to hear the news but they didn't really do much to try to keep me when I told them I was going to leave. 

Related: Rate Long Island University

5. Did you dread leaving your teammates?

Yeah that part sucked for sure. Really sad times not going to lie. 

6. Do you believe attending a junior college was beneficial in allowing you to return to a DI program for your last two years?

No. Absolutely not. The coaches and the overall standards aren't anywhere near DI level so that was definitely another hard adjustment to make. I had to do a lot of training on my own but even that didn't help much because honestly I'm not driven enough to do all that on my own. 

7. What was it like to enter into the transfer portal?

It was pretty exciting since I only really entered it when I came out of the JUCO. A lot of random schools reach out to you that just come out of the woodworks but it's cool to get attention. I had a few other D1 offers but it was solely off the tape that I made from my freshman year so that part was a little stressful since the tape was old but surprisingly the coaches didn't care. 

8. Who did you look to for assistance during the whole transfer process?

I talked to my old club coach a lot. He helped me out with getting coaches interested & setting up phone calls & emails & things like that. 

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

9. Do you recommend transferring if a student is unhappy in their current situation in college athletics?

Yeah. College is supposed to be one of the best times in your life. If you're not having fun & are just stressed about everything everyday it's not worth it to go through all that just to play a sport. 

10. How can athletes avoid making decisions they regret in the transfer process?

Honestly, there is no answer for that. Coaches are shady, they'll say anything to make you commit then brush you off when you get there. I guess I would say go to a school because you like living in the area & the academics aspects, not just for the athletic program. Because let's face it, they'll only disappoint you anyways. 

If you ever feel alone or are worried about the transfer process, remember that many other college athletes have been in your same position – and have sometimes even had even crazier challenges thrown their way! Transferring, although difficult at times, can provide great opportunities for you and can completely change the experience you have as a collegiate athlete. Hopefully you can learn from Tiana's experience, taking what she learned and applying it to your own situation when deciding if transferring is right for you!

Have a story idea or know an awesome athlete/coach we should interview? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on July 7, 2022, by Sarah Borer