The international community at Bethel College is constantly growing. Coaches, faculty and staff have been busy recruiting student athletes from all over the world, helping Bethel become a more diverse and inclusive campus. Students from countries like Mexico, Venezuela, Australia, Chile, Colombia, Slovakia, Croatia and more are participating in this exchange and representing Bethel in both sports and academics.
In recent years, Bethel has welcomed many students from Australia. This year, Bethel’s Australian students include Adam Tomka, a sophomore tennis player from Sydney, majoring in biochemistry; Billy Haoda, a junior tennis player from Cairns, majoring in exercise science; Jonathan Irima, a freshman football player from Sydney, majoring in physical therapy; Adonis Thanos, a freshman basketball player from Sydney, majoring in business and Luke Ogden, a freshman basketball player from Sydney, majoring in business.
Haoda highlighted the importance of having others from the same country and culture in a place like Bethel. “It is good to have some more people from a similar place,” he said. “It is pretty good because I was the only Australian my freshman year. It is nice to share a connection.”
Irima echoed the sentiment. “It is pretty good,” he said. “Having other Australians here helps with the homesickness a bit.”
“It is nice to have a familiar voice around,” Ogden said. “And being around people that kind of know what it feels like.”
The Australian students have had multiple takeaways from team dynamics in their sports. “I would say having another Australian on the tennis team is pretty good because we spend a lot of time with each other.” Tomka said.
“It is a bit hard to make friends with everyone since it’s a larger team design,” said Irima, who is a member of the football team. “But I have one or two friends that I am pretty close with.”
Both Thanos and Ogden agreed that they felt a sense of belonging and welcome on the basketball team.
Australia is one of the farthest countries from the United States. Time zone and communication issues are a constant concern for these students, along with transportation issues and flight difficulties.
“Other people have families on other continents, as well,” Tomka said. “Maybe just the time difference can be annoying at times for phone calls, but it is not too bad.”
“For me, I would say it is more the process of coming and going, it just feels really long,” Haoda said. “If something were to happen, it is not an easy process to just pop over.”
“Time difference is probably the biggest thing,” Thanos said. “It is just hard to catch my family back home at the right time. Other than that I am adapting to everything here and having other people around to keep myself distracted.”
Finally, the students shared some advice to both incoming Australians and other international students who may be considering Bethel as their future educational destination. “Speak with people with similar interests,” Tomka said.
Thanos mentioned the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to new experiences. “You do not have to be in a big school, you would be surprised,” he said. “I have enjoyed it a lot more than what I was expecting to. Everybody knows each other pretty well, so the small community environment adds to the experience.”
“Everyone is kind of a family,” Ogden said. “Instead of being 100,000 you are one of 500 so it is a good experience.”
The Bethel College international community will continue to grow. Coaches and faculty are constantly recruiting new student athletes who will represent our institution in the best ways possible. However, there are multiple changes and adjustments that need to be made in order to successfully provide the necessary tools and resources for international students who are traveling from far away countries. Bethel will continue to do its best to both expand its international community and provide an unforgettable experience for future Threshers.