Let’s tell another story, let’s tell another experience. Martina Faietti has the floor.
ABOUT ME | “I completed my bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Food Science and Technology in 2017 at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. I then decided that I wanted to continue my education abroad to learn the English language and face an international experience on my own. My greatest passion, volleyball, gave me the opportunity to get a sports scholarship in the United States and to be able to combine sport and study. I then started my adventure in the States in the summer of 2018 at the University of Memphis, where I undertook a master’s degree in Nutrition Science. Having already arrived as a senior for my age, I was only able to play for the Memphis Tigers for one year. The second year, I got a scholarship for academic merit and was offered a job as a Graduate Assistant in the Health Studies department. I finished all my exams in Fall 2019 and now I’ve been in Italy since December. In these months I will dedicate myself to the writing of the thesis and in May I will return to Memphis for the graduation.”
AMERICAN DREAM | “It was a positive experience, certainly very demanding but with great satisfaction. It has helped me a lot to grow and to take responsibility. I believed in my abilities which led me to achieve my goals. I am very happy with this experience and the opportunity I had, it has always been a dream of mine to be able to play volleyball in an American college and in addition to get a Master’s degree at an international level.”
STUDY AND SPORT | “The most difficult moment was when I arrived, because there were a lot of overlapping commitments in a short period of time. The volleyball season started in the Fall semester so on a physical level the preparation was very intense, and also the lessons started in a completely new environment for me. Thanks to my organizational skills, I was able to reconcile the two, but it was very demanding both physically and mentally. Then when you start to get into a rhythm and you know how to move, everything becomes more manageable and manageable, the important thing in my opinion is to have consistency and put effort into it.”
SPORTLINX360| “Sportlinx360 has supported me a lot, especially in the early stages of my journey, putting me in touch with various American universities. In addition, Jesica and Elitza were of fundamental help on a bureaucratic level, in the preparation of the documents before departure. Once I arrived, I managed all the relationships with the University independently, but they were always available in case of need.”
ITALY VS USA | “Having also graduated in Italy, I have a precise idea of how the University works both here and in America. First of all, in America sport is considered much more than here in Italy, a student athlete is recognized as an important figure for the image of the University and everyone is interested in your sports career, even the professors. While in Italy, sport and study are two separate worlds, very often considered as two parallel lines that cannot cross each other if you want to succeed in one of the two areas. On the contrary, in America, they care about both careers, because the school average of each team is also evaluated as an index of college prestige. In addition, unlike the Italian University, my advisor has built a course of study based on what I want to do in the future and has given me the opportunity to be part of a project whose article will soon be published in a scientific journal. I felt valued because they trusted me in my abilities by giving me very important responsibilities. I found all the teachers very helpful, even when I had to miss classes due to league trips.”
