TEMPE – As she rose from her seat, stepped off the plane and onto the airport floor, she was nervous. She lived in Serbia – a country in southeast Europe – for her entire life. Everything and everyone she knew was now 6,304 miles away across the Atlantic Ocean.
Ivana Jeremic had just made the decision to leave her native country to pursue higher education and continue her volleyball career at Arizona State University, one she is proud she has made three years later.
"This is the best choice I have made in my life," Jeremic said. "I can combine school and sport in college at the same time, and getting to know a new culture and new people and having new friends and family is really good."
Shortly after arriving to the U.S., Jeremic, like many other of the 70-plus international Sun Devil student-athletes, experienced stark differences in the culture of her homeland and the U.S. Small details natives overlook, like simple small talk or saying 'please' and 'thank you', can cause confusion and misunderstanding.
Diver Heikki Makikallio, who hails from Finland, experienced this culture change as well in the smallest aspects of every day life, like ordering a coffee from a coffee shop.
"In America, if you go to a coffee shop, you have to tell them your life story," Heikki said. "You tell them everything from your siblings to your grandparents whereas in Finland it's just like '$2.50' 'Thanks'. It's no more than that."
Among the many international student-athletes who chose to pursue a degree at Arizona State, over 30 countries are represented, including Canada, who leads the way with 22 Sun Devils.
Choosing to attend ASU is a multifaceted decision for many, as the U.S. is one of the few countries in the world to place such an emphasis on college sports as a way to segue into a professional career. For many, like Makikallio and Jeremic, pursuing higher education was one of the only ways to continue their athletic careers.
For others, like Sun Devil for Life and current PGA tour golfer Jon Rahm, it was the only way to get out of the small town he grew up in.
"I come from a town (Barrika, Spain) that just this year got to 1,400 people," Rahm said. "There's more animals than people so we had no idea how to handle all this when I got here. It was really growing from a boy to man."
Aside from the endless opportunities for personal and athletic growth afforded to athletes by attending Division I programs like ASU, there's something about being "different" that brings people together.
Makikallio recalled speaking to Joona Puhakka, a former Sun Devil and Olympian who also hailed from Finland, when deciding what to do after graduating from high school. Puhakka suggested he look for a college in the states, and countless research and emails later, Makikallio found himself in Phoenix.
And he definitely doesn't regret it.
"In other countries like Finland, I don't think they have a system like this. You either get a job or go pro after high school," Makikallio said. "At ASU, you can basically do anything you want to do or set your mind to. If you want to focus on your studies, we have so many resources and tutors to help you do that. If you want to focus on sports, all the facilities are world-class and amazing. I love it here."
WHERE DO SUN DEVIL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETE CALL HOME? A LOOK HERE...
AUSTRALIA
Lena Mihailovic, Water Polo
Michael Sleep-Dalton, Football
BELGIUM
Michael Geerts, Men's Tennis
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Ivana Ninkovic, Women's Swimming
BRAZIL
Lara Barbieri Da Silva, Soccer
CANADA
Peggy-Jean Allin, Water Polo
Maxwell Balinson, Hockey
Megan Beedie, Volleyball
Tyler Busch, Hockey
Rebecca Deacon, Women's Diving
Keeley-Ann Gormley, Lacrosse
Nicholas Gushue, Hockey
Avery Hamill, Lacrosse
Hannah Henry, Triathlon
Dylan Hollman, Hockey
Ashley McCool, Women's Diving
Ashley McNeill, Lacrosse
Deshaunda Morrison, Women's Track and Field
David Norris, Hockey
Nicole Panas, Soccer
Kahlil Parris, Men's Track and Field
Ryland Pashovitz, Hockey
Brinson Pasichnuk, Hockey
Steen Pasichnuk, Hockey
Kyla Roy, Triathlon
Glynis Sim, Women's Cross Country
Riley Simpson, Hockey
COSTA RICA
Paul Chaplet, Men's Golf
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tereza Kolarova, Women's Tennis
DENMARK
Benjamin Hannested, Men's Tennis
EGYPT
Youssef Selim, Men's Diving
ENGLAND
Lauryn John-Baptiste, Women's Tennis
Jemma Purfield, Soccer
Rosemary Huck, Water Polo
FINLAND
Silja Kansakoski, Women's Swimming
Heikki Makikallio, Men's Diving
Fanny Teijonsalo, Women's Swimming
FRANCE
Lejeune Cecile, Women's Cross Country
Sophia Elenga, Women's Basketball
Ronan Joncour, Men's Tennis
Anne Kuhm, Gymnastics
Baonoromandresy Rakotomalala, Men's Tennis
GERMANY
Tim Ruehl, Men's Tennis
Sophia Zeeb, Women's Golf
Charlotte Ahrens, Triathlon
IRELAND
Olivia Mehaffey, Women's Golf
ITALY
Nicole Fossa Huergo, Women's Tennis
Roberta Liti, Women's Golf
JAPAN
Koichiro Ishika, Men's Golf
LATVIA
Filips Buncis, Hockey
Gvido Jansons, Hockey
LITHUANIA
Tadas Duskinas, Men's Swimming
NETHERLANDS
Maud Koopman, Water Polo
Bente Rogge, Water Polo
PORTUGAL
Jessica Berreira, Women's Track and Field
ROMANIA
Mara Aiacoboae, Women's Diving
SERBIA
Ivana Jeremic, Volleyball
Danica Krstonosic, Volleyball
SLOVENIA
Sasa Klanecek, Women's Tennis
SOUTH AFRICA
Ilze Hattingh, Women's Tennis
Marlies Ross, Women's Swimming
Claudia Abad Garcia, Water Polo
Alejandro del Rey, Men's Golf
Raquel Olmos Ros, Women's Golf
Carmen Unzue, Volleyball
Roman Vila, Men's Basketball
SWEDEN
Tobias Eden, Men's Golf
Jakob Stridsberg, Hockey
Linnea Strom, Women's Golf
Frida Kaellgren, Women's Diving
SWITZERLAND
Pierre-Louis Dodens, Men's Tennis
TAWAIN
Lin Chia-Cheng, Men's Baseball
Chun An Yu, Men's Golf
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Holland Cabara, Men's Track and Field
Vitaliy Sibel, Men's Basketball
UNITED KINGDOM
Thomas Wright, Men's Tennis
VIETNAM
Anthony Truong, Men's Golf
Ivana Jeremic had just made the decision to leave her native country to pursue higher education and continue her volleyball career at Arizona State University, one she is proud she has made three years later.
"This is the best choice I have made in my life," Jeremic said. "I can combine school and sport in college at the same time, and getting to know a new culture and new people and having new friends and family is really good."
??: ASU women's volleyball a welcoming place for international players (via @statepresssport).https://t.co/A3MvwsPuqX
— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) September 8, 2017
Shortly after arriving to the U.S., Jeremic, like many other of the 70-plus international Sun Devil student-athletes, experienced stark differences in the culture of her homeland and the U.S. Small details natives overlook, like simple small talk or saying 'please' and 'thank you', can cause confusion and misunderstanding.
Diver Heikki Makikallio, who hails from Finland, experienced this culture change as well in the smallest aspects of every day life, like ordering a coffee from a coffee shop.
"In America, if you go to a coffee shop, you have to tell them your life story," Heikki said. "You tell them everything from your siblings to your grandparents whereas in Finland it's just like '$2.50' 'Thanks'. It's no more than that."
It's almost time for round 4 ???? #lastseason #sundevil #asu #senior #twisting #flipping
A post shared by Heikki Mäkikallio (@heikkimakikallio) on
It's almost time for round 4 ???? #lastseason #sundevil #asu #senior #twisting #flipping
A post shared by Heikki Mäkikallio (@heikkimakikallio) on
Among the many international student-athletes who chose to pursue a degree at Arizona State, over 30 countries are represented, including Canada, who leads the way with 22 Sun Devils.
Choosing to attend ASU is a multifaceted decision for many, as the U.S. is one of the few countries in the world to place such an emphasis on college sports as a way to segue into a professional career. For many, like Makikallio and Jeremic, pursuing higher education was one of the only ways to continue their athletic careers.
For others, like Sun Devil for Life and current PGA tour golfer Jon Rahm, it was the only way to get out of the small town he grew up in.
"I come from a town (Barrika, Spain) that just this year got to 1,400 people," Rahm said. "There's more animals than people so we had no idea how to handle all this when I got here. It was really growing from a boy to man."
Aside from the endless opportunities for personal and athletic growth afforded to athletes by attending Division I programs like ASU, there's something about being "different" that brings people together.
There are 6? nations represented on the ?????? roster this year!
— Sun Devil W. Tennis (@sundevilwtennis) September 25, 2017
???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/42HeRZ1fwJ
Makikallio recalled speaking to Joona Puhakka, a former Sun Devil and Olympian who also hailed from Finland, when deciding what to do after graduating from high school. Puhakka suggested he look for a college in the states, and countless research and emails later, Makikallio found himself in Phoenix.
And he definitely doesn't regret it.
"In other countries like Finland, I don't think they have a system like this. You either get a job or go pro after high school," Makikallio said. "At ASU, you can basically do anything you want to do or set your mind to. If you want to focus on your studies, we have so many resources and tutors to help you do that. If you want to focus on sports, all the facilities are world-class and amazing. I love it here."
WHERE DO SUN DEVIL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETE CALL HOME? A LOOK HERE...
AUSTRALIA
Lena Mihailovic, Water Polo
Michael Sleep-Dalton, Football
BELGIUM
Michael Geerts, Men's Tennis
. #ForksUp to Michael Geerts with win over No. 1 seed Takanyi Garanganga at Futures Tournament pic.twitter.com/ahBch7jYU0
— Sun Devil M. Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) September 27, 2017
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Ivana Ninkovic, Women's Swimming
BRAZIL
Lara Barbieri Da Silva, Soccer
CANADA
Peggy-Jean Allin, Water Polo
Maxwell Balinson, Hockey
Megan Beedie, Volleyball
Tyler Busch, Hockey
Rebecca Deacon, Women's Diving
Keeley-Ann Gormley, Lacrosse
Nicholas Gushue, Hockey
Avery Hamill, Lacrosse
Hannah Henry, Triathlon
Dylan Hollman, Hockey
Ashley McCool, Women's Diving
Ashley McNeill, Lacrosse
Deshaunda Morrison, Women's Track and Field
David Norris, Hockey
Nicole Panas, Soccer
Kahlil Parris, Men's Track and Field
Ryland Pashovitz, Hockey
Brinson Pasichnuk, Hockey
Steen Pasichnuk, Hockey
Kyla Roy, Triathlon
Glynis Sim, Women's Cross Country
Riley Simpson, Hockey
COSTA RICA
Paul Chaplet, Men's Golf
How to tap it in with style ?? #jacksonvanslyck #valledelsol #CostaRica pic.twitter.com/0eAmXZ6Zu1
— Paul Chaplet (@Paulchaplet) November 16, 2016
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tereza Kolarova, Women's Tennis
DENMARK
Benjamin Hannested, Men's Tennis
Excited for my new chapter as a Sun devil #theGrindNeverStops #forksup?? ??
A post shared by Benjamin Hannestad (@hannestadb) on
EGYPT
Youssef Selim, Men's Diving
ENGLAND
Lauryn John-Baptiste, Women's Tennis
Jemma Purfield, Soccer
Rosemary Huck, Water Polo
FINLAND
Silja Kansakoski, Women's Swimming
Heikki Makikallio, Men's Diving
Fanny Teijonsalo, Women's Swimming
FRANCE
Lejeune Cecile, Women's Cross Country
Sophia Elenga, Women's Basketball
Ronan Joncour, Men's Tennis
Anne Kuhm, Gymnastics
Baonoromandresy Rakotomalala, Men's Tennis
GERMANY
Tim Ruehl, Men's Tennis
Sophia Zeeb, Women's Golf
Charlotte Ahrens, Triathlon
Sun Devils never forget how to smile?? #sundeviltri#25milesuphill#mountlemmon#weekendlife
A post shared by Charlotte Ahrens (@flottelotte97) on
IRELAND
Olivia Mehaffey, Women's Golf
Not a bad view for some evening practice.. So lucky to be a Sun Devil ?????? #grateful #forksup pic.twitter.com/Ly3JpTnuKb
— Olivia Mehaffey (@OliviaMehaffey) September 2, 2017
ITALY
Nicole Fossa Huergo, Women's Tennis
Roberta Liti, Women's Golf
JAPAN
Koichiro Ishika, Men's Golf
?????????(??????????????)
— Koichiro Ishika (@KoichiroIshika) August 30, 2017
??????????????????????44??????????? pic.twitter.com/zlSjb74PWT
LATVIA
Filips Buncis, Hockey
Gvido Jansons, Hockey
LITHUANIA
Tadas Duskinas, Men's Swimming
NETHERLANDS
Maud Koopman, Water Polo
Bente Rogge, Water Polo
PORTUGAL
Jessica Berreira, Women's Track and Field
ROMANIA
Mara Aiacoboae, Women's Diving
Mara @aiacoboae also received All-America Honorable Mention honors for platform dive, her third straight AA accolades #BringtheHeat pic.twitter.com/NXajCvvctg
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) March 19, 2017
SERBIA
Ivana Jeremic, Volleyball
Danica Krstonosic, Volleyball
SLOVENIA
Sasa Klanecek, Women's Tennis
SOUTH AFRICA
Ilze Hattingh, Women's Tennis
Marlies Ross, Women's Swimming
SPAINHow does one say Happy Birthday in Spanish? Say it to @ramonvilsoley today! pic.twitter.com/Gkb19Z123s
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) September 11, 2017
Claudia Abad Garcia, Water Polo
Alejandro del Rey, Men's Golf
Raquel Olmos Ros, Women's Golf
Carmen Unzue, Volleyball
Roman Vila, Men's Basketball
SWEDEN
Tobias Eden, Men's Golf
Jakob Stridsberg, Hockey
Linnea Strom, Women's Golf
Frida Kaellgren, Women's Diving
SWITZERLAND
Pierre-Louis Dodens, Men's Tennis
TAWAIN
Lin Chia-Cheng, Men's Baseball
Chun An Yu, Men's Golf
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Holland Cabara, Men's Track and Field
UKRAINEGreat to see @ShibelVi13 on the court. Southpaw who can shoot it. pic.twitter.com/XY2hOWiPUu
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) August 7, 2017
Vitaliy Sibel, Men's Basketball
UNITED KINGDOM
Thomas Wright, Men's Tennis
VIETNAM
Anthony Truong, Men's Golf