For international students, the prospect of leaving home to study in the United States is one that kindles both feelings of excitement and anxiety. The opportunity to receive a well-rounded college education plants the ideas of what these young adults’ futures could be, but the potential language barrier and separation from the familiar sites and faces of home make it one to grab with skepticism. International student-athletes not only juggle these thoughts when considering this life-changing decision, but they must also weigh in the added pressure of needing to excel in their respective sport.
Eden O’Leary’s decision to take this leap of faith and leave behind everything he knew in Israel for the chance to play soccer and pursue a degree at Seton Hall was one that took all these factors into consideration.