A Day in the Life of International Student-Athletes
Traveling or studying abroad is quite the experience for many young Americans, but it is merely temporary. Moving to America from England and attending school in the Appalachian Mountains while playing Division One soccer is world away from simply visiting a different country. That is exactly what Jordan Melia and many others have experienced and are experiencing at this moment in their lives.
Jordan Melia is an international student-athlete from Horwich, England who plays soccer at Appalachian State University. Melia and many other international students struggle with homesickness and a sense lack of belonging. Many of their colleagues do not realize these implications of studying and playing a competitive sport in a foreign land.
"I only go home at Christmas; I only see my family four weeks out of the year," said Melia. "I really miss my mates back home as well."
Being away from their families only adds to the stress these students are under on top of priorities like schoolwork, athletics, and social life. Many of these international students do not see their friends or family for long periods of time, as mentioned earlier. Having to adjust to life in America has been a struggle for many of these students, as parts of the culture, including: food, language, dress and social norms, vary greatly from the homelands of these students.
"I don't understand why they eat Chicken and Waffles for breakfast here," said Melia. "I miss eating things like beans on toast, fish n' chips from my local chippy and Ribena."
"There's a pub in Blowing Rock called the Six Pence and they have a decent fish n' chips" Melia added.
Food is a massive part of any culture and Melia, among others, has greatly missed the comfort foods available at home. From fast-foods to home-cooked meals, cultures can be greatly defined by the food that exist within them.
Felix Kollmanthaler, a teammate of Melia's and another international student at Appalachian State, described how he misses other aspects of culture in his homeland of Frankfurt, Germany.
"I miss going to football matches and being able to watch the games with passionate supporters," said Kollmanthaler. "Sports are a bit different in America," he mentioned.
The differences in cultures can even be brought down to the level of something so simple such as: sport. The difference in popularity of certain sports, fan cultures and different styles of playing a sport are many of the differences that international student athletes have to identify and adapt to these new systems.
