While thinking about this frequently asked topic, we came to the conclusion that we should cover it through an interview. We believe reading a monologue can get rather boring, so we decided to ask one student to tell us about his personal experience with getting a scholarship. Our speaker is a student from Germany, so keep on reading as this interview could be quite useful.
Fabian Huber is a sophomore at Ranger Junior College Camp in Texas. We asked Fabian, who was happy to talk with us, about life in the USA and his experience with American sports scholarships.
1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Fabian Huber. I am 19 years old and I am from Stuttgart. I came to the Ranger Junior Sports Camp over a foreign student scholarship programme. I finished middle and high school in Germany and was drawn to this programme because of my love for basketball which I hope to play professionally. I plan on continuing my education and sports training in America.
2. I presume you liked living and studying in America, right? How did it even come to that?
Well, it was a pretty spontaneous decision. I can't really say I was the one that came to the information that studying outside of Germany was a possibility. A coach at a basketball club I used to go to once talked about it. He didn't even mention it as an option we should try out. It was more of a story about the opportunities that today's athletes have. Truth be told, I wasn't as interested in studying abroad at that time, as maybe my friend Mateo was. I was certainly very supportive of him and I over time got informed more about it. You know, in Germany, these things are kind of looked down upon, primarily because there is the idea that you have the best opportunities in your country. I don't know anyone in my surrounding that chose to take this step too. I have a feeling not a lot of people are even aware that they have this option, but that is unrelated. To get back to the story, the aforementioned Mateo decided he would study marketing as he lost his love for basketball. On the other hand, the thought of doing a sport I loved and studying economics appealed to me more and more each day. I feel like I skipped something, there is something I didn't answer… What was the question again?
2.1. Yeah, we asked if you liked staying in the camp and in the USA given your love for basketball. And we also wanted to ask how did you get the scholarship?
Oh yeah, certainly… This still feels unbelievable to me, especially since there is a whole procedure around arriving here. Above all, the scholarship that covers a certain amount of expenses is what makes my stay here in America much easier. From a perspective of a young athlete who wants to keep improving, America is an incredible country. It offers you great opportunities with conditions to actually take and realize them. I am not sure if there is another country that forms future professional athletes through education in such an organized manner. Surely there is, but still, I believe America is a forerunner considering its immaculate conditions. That is exactly why I am planning on continuing my studies here.
Regarding the actual scholarship, I was unaware of the way it worked and that it even existed. I was a little scared too, as studies in America are quite expensive and I did not want to financial strain on my parents, but my desire was still there. So, I came to a lot of useful information and applied for the scholarship I eventually received, through an agency.
3. How challenging was it?
Honestly, from my current situation, I would say it wasn’t that demanding, but looking back, it was a huge challenge. Mostly because of the testing, but also the fear of failure was probably a factor too. The language came to be a problem too. I was pretty sure of my knowledge of it until the exam when I realized I had problems switching from German and talking freely in English. I had to practice, but eventually, everything turned out fine, as was the case with the scholarship I ended up receiving in the end.
I met some amazing people, not only from America but from all over the world and we get along really well. I think this is very useful for young people even if they end up not playing sports professionally, principally because of the experience, friendship and energy we get from one another.
Fabian Huber
4. If you had to rate your campus experience from 1 to 10, what would you give it?
Well, it would surely be one big 10. Eventually, I would like to continue my education here, at a 4-year university with a strong basketball team. Of course, getting a scholarship plays a part in realizing that wish, however, I don't think receiving an adequate scholarship will be a problem considering my past achievements. Being near the end of this segment, and hopefully, the beginning of the next one, I can confidently say that my experience in America has been incredible. I met some amazing people, not only from America but from all over the world and we get along really well. I think this is very useful for young people even if they end up not playing sports professionally, principally because of the experience, friendship and energy we get from one another.
5. Finally, what advice would you give to young people with a chance to study in the USA?
Honestly, I have nothing wiser to say than you should do everything in your power to make your dreams a reality. We all know that the road to the stars is full of hardships, but you will never cross that road just by looking at it. You have to move towards it. If you have a chance of getting your education in America with a scholarship and are also an ambitious athlete, it would be a shame to miss that opportunity. Not because getting to where you want to be would be impossible somewhere else, but primarily because this is an amazing way of getting an education while also bettering yourself as an athlete and having all your expenses covered. You should take all the opportunities you get in life because there probably won't be many of them.
Great! Thank you so much!
You're welcome, thank you.
