Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: SAMUEL WEILERT; STAFF WRITER
Over the past several years, St. Bonaventure University has grown to become a new home for people from all over the world. From Australia, Bolivia, Switzerland and more, people from all over the globe have chosen Bonaventure as the place they want to continue their academic and athletic journeys.
The men’s and women’s tennis teams greatly exemplify this trend, with 9 of the 14 members of the teams coming from overseas.
One of these athletes is Alex Kim, a sophomore from Melbourne, Australia. When asked about the transition from a big city like Melbourne to a small town like Olean, Kim said, “It was exciting, getting a fresh new life outside of my home. I was used to a big city, the tall buildings. When I came here, it was a bit out of my comfort zone at first.”
He offered words of advice to anyone who may be embarking on a similar journey, saying “trust the process, follow where you want to go, and do whatever you think is right for you.”
Another athlete who has had a similar experience of moving from a big city to a small town is Sara, a freshman from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
“My transition has been both challenging and exciting,” Montano Parada said. “Adapting to the language was a bit tough, but by speaking it every day now, I am confident with it. Being so far away from home has been the hardest part, but I feel like Bonaventure is a perfect place to experience your first year. The small town and small school vibe definitely make it easier to meet new people and build relationships.”
This past week, Montano Parada had the honor of being named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for her performance in the team’s win over Duquesne.
“Being named A-10 rookie of the week was really special,” Montano Parada said. “This is proof of the work the team and I put in day in and day out trying to represent the Bonnies as best as possible.”
Her teammate Tamara Bachmann, a senior from Zurich, Switzerland, was also honored for her performance by being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week.
“I was happy when I got the award last week,” Bachmann said. “I have had lots of decent weeks with good results this season, so when I finally got it last week, I was happy to hear that they had selected me.”
Moving from across the globe was also an adjustment for Bachmann. “It was definitely a big shift for me, seeing as I had never been that far away from home,” she said. “I also live in a city at home, so Olean, NY is a bit different, but I like that everything’s small here and everyone knows each other.”
The Bonnies’ season comes to a close April 22-25 at the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Orlando, Florida.
“I feel that the team has some good chances since we had a couple of individual and team wins against other A-10 schools,” said Montano Parada. “I’m definitely eager to compete and represent the Bonnies in the best way possible.”
