With 90% of Winthrop students already from South Carolina, many of them get to see their families on a regular basis throughout each semester. Approximately 8% of the students on Winthrop’s campus are out of state students, so big holiday breaks from school, like Thanksgiving, will be the first time these out of state students see their family in almost four months.
Sabrina Fonda, a junior majoring in corporate finance with a minor in accounting, calls Wellington, Florida home. A member of the golf team, she discovered Winthrop while going through the college golf recruitment process in high school.
“I loved its location, I was very impressed with the golf team and the athletics program, the size of the school was perfect, the campus was beautiful, and I really wanted to go to college somewhere outside of Florida where I could experience a different area of the country,” Fonda said.
Aside from loving the student-athlete community on campus, Fonda adores the fact that unlike South Florida, South Carolina has visible changes for each season.
“I really enjoy the fall because I love seeing the leaves change color and feeling the temperature get cooler,” Fonda said.
Since there were no golf tournaments to participate in this semester, the golf team has their work cut out for them as all tournaments will be squished into one spring semester.
“I think we have a team full of really solid players and we can all come together to have a great season in the spring. I am very proud to be able to represent Winthrop in competition and love being a part of such a great team,” Fonda said.
Normally Fonda can only make it home about once a semester since it is a 9.5 hour drive or a two hour flight, so she is looking forward to spending time with her family at their Thanksgiving feast.
One day Fonda wishes to travel beyond the states, visiting Bali, Indonesia.
“It looks like such a beautiful, peaceful destination and I hope that I can vacation there at some point,” Fonda said.
One out of state athlete is actually on an international journey right now.
Brock “Twice” Cheung of the esports team is working this semester remotely from Mexico after his step-father’s work moved the family there. Originally from Jefferson City, Missouri, Cheung has, in fact, never stepped foot in South Carolina.
“[Working remotely] may apply for the spring as well so it could be as late as next fall as to when I touch foot on campus for the first time,” Cheung said.
With Cheung being ahead in his studies as a mass communication major, his graduation year is unofficial, but will either be 2022 or Spring 2023. Before attending Winthrop, Esports Head Coach Josh Sides tried to recruit Cheung, but he was already committed to attend the University of Missouri where his mom graduated.
Cheung’s plan changed when the pandemic hit. According to Cheung, “Mizzou was handling it extremely poorly,” so when Sides reached out to him once more, he was definitely interested.
“I mainly chose to attend for the following reasons: Winthrop’s mass communication department has the same accreditation as the University of Missouri’s journalism school, the ability to allow me to be fully remote for the first semester if not the first whole academic year, and the ability to continue my career as a collegiate esports athlete,” Cheung said.
Although he is roughly 1,700 miles away, Cheung’s Winthrop experience has already been better than he expected.
“I naturally get along better with everyone and it’s been a much more positive experience. All the players are great and Josh works extremely hard for the players first. It is something I wish a lot more collegiate programs took note of,” Cheung said.
Creating his nickname for the esports world, Cheung’s younger brother and sister, who are twins, were his inspiration.
“I got ‘Twice’ from the idea that I have two little siblings. People mistake it for the Kpop group all the time so I always have to explain,” Cheung said.
Deeply missing his grandparents, Cheung is looking forward to his return to the states, but it looks as though his Thanksgiving will still be abroad.
“I don’t know if we’re planning any big dinners or anything but my mom’s birthday is on Thanksgiving so I’m sure we’ll do something for that most definitely,” Cheung said.
Like Cheung, fellow esports player Benjamin “Del” Grieser, a junior computer information systems major from Rollins, Montana, found Winthrop through Coach Sides.
“I chose to attend to follow him, as he was my coach at my old school. Combined with the increased resources and his leadership, it was a no–brainer,” Grieser said.
One perk to staying in South Carolina is that Grieser will not experience as much cold weather compared to his home where it is “only warm four months of the year.”
Grieser’s nickname comes from his favorite rapper, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, who has inspired him from an early age.
“My favorite part of the Esport team is the close knit atmosphere we have. I can truly say that my team is my family, and each day we work to succeed together,” Grieser said.
Since Grieser is “working very hard to get internships in the derivatives trading or market making world” and it is quite expensive to travel across the country, he will not be returning home for Thanksgiving.
Luckily, he said he thoroughly enjoys the food on campus, as “it’s a big upgrade” over his prior schools.
Discovering new food is also an exciting activity when moving to another state for senior Teyah Floyd of the women’s track and field team.
“I love going to Pelican’s and Waffle House since we do not have those in Connecticut,” Floyd said.
From Farmington, Connecticut, Floyd heard about Winthrop through an NCAA recruiting website.
“I chose Winthrop because they offered me a partial scholarship for track and I was determined to attend college in a southern state,” Floyd said.
Even though moving away from home is quite an adjustment, especially when moving to another state, Floyd said she “adapted quickly and made new friends and teammates,” and happily accepted the southern hospitality.
“I adjusted to the types of food, language, and slower, more polite lifestyle,” Floyd said.
Running since she was twelve years old, Floyd gets inspiration from LeBron James because “he has done a lot to give back to his community and others, along with his inspiring upbringing prior to the NBA.”
Now a sprinter for the Eagles, Floyd adores being a part of such a big, loving team.
“It’s like a big family and we support each other, get to travel together and watch each other grow as teammates and people,” Floyd said.
Floyd’s goal is to graduate in May 2021 with a minimum GPA of 3.2. Afterward, she hopes to find a place to live between Charlotte and Fort Mill, where she can educate young student–athletes on the importance of nutrition.
William Metcalf-Shull, a runner for the men’s cross country team and a junior exercise science major, always wanted to attend college outside of his home in Lancaster, Ohio. He decided to attend Winthrop “because of the Coach and it was the best financial option for a school with [his] intended major.”
Another positive of leaving his northern state is that he does not have to deal with snow here in the south. He usually finds time throughout the semester to visit home during short breaks from classes and competitions, but traveling for Thanksgiving will be his first time home this semester.
“My favorite part about Winthrop is easily the friends I’ve made while being here. I also appreciate the student-athlete community here; having that makes being an athlete more enjoyable,” Metcalf-Shull said.
Now running competitively for his eighth year, Metcalf-Shull hopes to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary meet in the 1500m run.
“I first started running because one of my teachers in middle school was the cross country coach and told me I should give it a try,” Metcalf-Shull said. “My favorite races are the 3000m and 1500m – it’s too hard to decide between them.”
Ultimately, different weather and a close athletic community seem to be the most popular reasons for out of state students choosing to attend Winthrop.
Photo by Marisa Fields-Williams
