International student-athletes: Former AU women's tennis player Ana Faria shares her story

By Nicole Page | Staff writer

Like many student-athletes, international student-athletes dream of the opportunity to play at the highest level of their sport. Ana Faria was one of those students.

Faria, who’s originally from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, played on the Augusta University women’s tennis team for four years and graduated this past May. Like many international athletes, Faria hired a company to help her find colleges in the United States that would be interested in her.

“It was very helpful for me to be able to have someone look into schools that I may have never thought of,” said Faria. “It helped me find schools where there were other international athletes that could help me with the process as well as help me become the best student-athlete I could be.”

These companies help with the communication between coaches and athletes, as well with the paperwork that ensures that these students make it into the United States with no issues. This paperwork includes visas, passports, bank reports and test scores such as the SAT.

The process of recruiting, traveling and adjusting to culture can be challenging. Augusta University has many athletes from other countries, so international athletes have not only the opportunity to succeed but to thrive here.

Having friends who had already graduated from Augusta University helped influence Faria with her decision. Many of her friends who played sports at AU had great experiences, which was something that helped push her towards her decision to commit to AU.

Faria took into consideration the size of the university, along with the quality of the education that Augusta offers. With Augusta’s smaller class sizes, Faria said she felt more comfortable with her classmates and got more one-on-one time with her professors.

“During the recruiting process, I had the opportunity to talk with a lot of different coaches,” said Faria. “The best fit for me was Augusta University because of the coach and the program. A big factor for me was that I would be able to make my own schedule, live near our tennis facility and have my own responsibilities.”

The tennis team at Augusta University is the school’s only team that has all international athletes. This was one more factor that made Faria feel safe. The wide variety of international athletes on the tennis team made her feel as if she had people to lead her in the right direction as well as push her because they were all there for the same reasons.

Once speaking with the coaches and the tennis team, Augusta University already felt like home for Faria. She had the opportunity to meet people from different countries including Spain, France, Italy, Chile and many others. She was able to learn from different people and cultures, play tennis at a high level and receive a great education.

Coming to Augusta also helped Faria develop her English and her Spanish, which is of great benefit in her future career. She said this is something she would never dream to have back in her country.

Augusta University also gave Faria the opportunity to broaden her knowledge of tennis, as she became a better leader and captain during her time at Augusta.

Faria is now the AU women’s and men’s tennis Assistant Coach. She said she plans to stay in Augusta as the assistant coach for two more years while earning her MBA next semester. For her future endeavors, Faria plans to continue coaching.

“I could not be happier with my decision to come to Augusta University,” said Faria. “I am sure that it was the right choice for me, and I would do it all over again. I was able to keep playing the sport I love at a high level while getting my degree and that is something I never would have been able to do at my home country.”

At top of page, Faria eyes the ball before a backhand stroke. (photo by Nicole Page)

This story is second in a series on international student-athletes in Augusta.

Contact Nicole Page at npage@augusta.edu.