If you are on the West Coast, In-N-Out Burger is something you do not realize is special until you move to South Carolina and find it is nonexistent. That is merely going coast to coast. Imagine having to travel on a plane for almost 24 hours just to get home to your family.
Winthrop is home to approximately 110 international students, a fifth of which are student-athletes. From Australia to Switzerland to Brazil, Winthrop attracts young adults from all over the world who are eager to experience the abundance of opportunities in the United States.
“I was surprised [by] the attitude of the people here in America. Here almost all people say ‘Hello. How are you?’ even if you don’t know the other person. And people are more open in general,” said Val Haemmerle of the men’s soccer team.
A sophomore sport management major from Lustenau, Austria, Haemmerle was drawn to Winthrop because of its close proximity to any environment: the beach, the city, or nature. Although he admires the hot weather here, Haemmerle does miss the cooler weather of his home country.
“I started skiing when I was two years old and it was normal for us that we go to the mountains and ski at the weekend,” Haemmerle said.
Joining a soccer club at the age of six, Haemmerle recently joined the Eagles as a midfielder.
“It has always been part of my life and made me into the person I am now. I wanted to keep playing soccer, because it is just part of me and I want to experience how soccer is in the United States,” Haemmerle said.
With only his parents living with him in the United States, Haemmerle looks forward to moving back to Austria for his siblings, but he is in no rush.
“I have to work hard every day to achieve my goals and prove what I can do. I want to represent Winthrop as good as possible and seize my chances,” Haemmerle said.
Also on the men’s soccer team is George Orfanidis, a senior computer science major who is minoring in mathematics. Orfanidis is from Thessaloniki, Greece, and was anxious while preparing to move overseas, but said he experienced a “positive shock” upon his arrival.
“I was amazed by the very warm welcome from everyone. I had never really been in close contact with Americans before but I was very happy to be joining a culture with similar values and ideals to mine,” Orfanidis said.
Winthrop became a happy home away from home as Orfanidis quickly found a second family.
“I had unconditional support from the coaching staff, the athletic training staff, my professors, and most importantly my teammates,” Orfanidis said. “The American system provided me with the opportunity to combine education and athletics at the highest level, something that is not possible back home. I will be forever grateful to my coaches that gave me this opportunity.”
A defender for the Eagles, Orfanidis totaled over 100 minutes in three of the final four games of the 2019-20 season despite battling an injury.
“For as long as I can remember, I have been kicking a ball around. I have loved the game from a very young age,” Orfanidis said. His passion for the popular European sport even landed him on the Junior National Team at sixteen years old.
“I wanted to continue this passion of mine for as long as I could and it became my ticket to an American university,” Orfanidis said.
Even though living so far from his close family and friends can be difficult at times, Orfanidis does not regret his choice as he may not have had the same athletic and academic possibilities at home.
“I love the fact that the U.S. gives the opportunity to anyone who is willing to work hard, diligently, and persistently to succeed and fulfill his or her dreams,” Orfanidis said.
As Orfanidis plans to attend graduate school in 2021 to earn his PhD in the area of machine learning, the 2020-21 season will be his last on Winthrop’s soccer field.
“My goal for this season would simply be to close my Winthrop career in the most positive way possible, remaining healthy and injury-free. As a team, we definitely want to qualify for the Big South playoffs as we did the year prior and rank as high as possible,” Orfanidis said.
“I love the student-athlete experience that Winthrop provides and the people that made this experience the best possible. I would characterize athletics here more like a family than a department,” Orfanidis said.
Camila Gomez from the volleyball team said she feels the same way.
“I love how accepting and nice everyone is at Winthrop. These are the people I consider my family away from home. I feel very comfortable around this diverse group of people and I love to get to know other cultures and people from all over the U.S. as well,” Gomez said.
Now a junior business administration major with a concentration in management, Gomez transferred to Winthrop after completing one year at Georgia Southern University, but her hometown is Santiago, Chile.
“I love how much the international people care about each other, we are like a small family that supports each other,” Gomez said.
One cultural difference Gomez immediately noticed upon moving to the United States was the difference in how people greet each other.
“I would say the Latino culture is generally much warmer. I was used to hugging and kissing everyone when saying hi to someone, while it was a big adaptation for me having to only wave at people,” Gomez said.
Nevertheless, making friends and bonding with her teammates was an easy feat, but adapting to the English language, especially in volleyball, proved to be a challenge for Gomez when she first moved.
“My first practices were very overwhelming because I basically had no idea what was going on, it was like playing a whole new game for me. I didn’t know how to call for sets, or what dig, dive, hustle or anything like that meant since they weren’t the typical words you would learn in an English class,” Gomez said.
Now in her second year with the Eagles, Gomez has gotten the hang of things and she is “dying to play” again.
“I was very disappointed when our season got postponed, but it was the best and healthiest option for everyone in the long run. I am really hoping to win the Big South Championship again, but this time as a team we would love to advance at least to the second round of the NCAA tournament,” Gomez said.
Similarly to Orfanidis, Gomez participated in the Junior National League at the age of 15, gaining more volleyball experience and the opportunity to play internationally; however, Gomez still did not believe she was good enough to ever become a collegiate volleyball player.
“It wasn’t until I posted a picture with my high school diploma that one of the players I have played against internationally contacted me, telling me she would love for me to come play in the U.S. with her…I am glad it worked out,” Gomez said.
Gomez is fluent in three languages: German, Spanish and English. She also has dual citizenship in Austria and Chile. With dual citizenship and endless possibilities, Gomez is thinking about moving to Europe for her master’s degree or playing professionally for a few years.
Now comfortable with the American lifestyle, remaining in the U.S. is something Gomez is also considering, especially since there are Chipotle restaurants here.
“I absolutely love Chipotle since I got here. Chileans are not very big on fast food chains so that would definitely be a good one,” Gomez said.
As much as she adores the Mexican grill chain, Gomez still craves the comforts of home.
“I miss those good home–cooked meals and Chilean/German traditions my grandma makes. As long as I try cooking, it will never be like hers,” Gomez said.
Discovering new fast food chains seems to be a popular activity upon moving to the United States.
Ellie Marks, a sophomore business administration major with a concentration in healthcare management, has come to love In–n–Out Burger, an establishment that cannot be found outside of the United States.
Marks, originally from Sydney, Australia, is a member of Winthrop’s softball team. After moving to a country almost 9,500 miles from home, she immediately noticed the geographical differences between the American states and her home country.
“When you go from South Carolina, to Florida, New York and California, each state offers such a different culture, landscape and environment that is unique to its state. In Australia, we only have 8 states, and they are all very similar. It is nice to be able to travel to so many different and amazing parts of America,” Marks said.
Still, Marks said the beaches in Australia are “like nowhere else in the world,” so she misses that laid back, enjoyable environment.
Despite being thousands of miles from home, her childhood relationships are stronger than ever, but she has also created her own “American family” here at Winthrop.
“When I met my team and started practicing, I felt right at home and super comfortable on campus with my new family,” Marks said.
Starting softball at the age of seven, Marks’ sister inspired her to follow her athletic passion all the way to college.
“My sister played college softball, and when I would come to the US to visit her, I saw what a great lifestyle it was, so I wanted to make that my dream too,” Marks said.
“This season I really want to focus on enjoying every little moment playing the game I love and being with my teammates, because now we know how quickly it can all be taken away from us,” Marks said.
All four student-athletes took the chance of stepping outside of their comfort zone to travel to a new country for schooling and sports. All are extremely grateful for their opportunity to explore a new world, and not one of them wishes they chose a different path.
“It’s a very big opportunity for me to be able to play soccer and study abroad,” Haemmerle said. “What I love most is when I can get on the fields with my friends and do what I love to do.”
“I am very happy with my decision to come to America to study and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Orfanidis said.
“Winthrop is such a diverse school and I think it brings in a lot of talent and diversity to all of the sports and uplifts the overall culture of not only Winthrop softball, but all of Winthrop sports,” Marks said. “I am very blessed to be here.”
Photo by Marisa Fields-Williams
