Traveling great distances to attend a university is a tough choice for any athlete, but the decision to pursue a college education in the United States can be an especially life-altering experience for international student-athletes. Leaving behind their families, cultures, and everything familiar to step into the unknown can be daunting. But the allure of chasing athletic dreams while simultaneously acquiring an education is a powerful draw.
For Laura Cooke, a fifth-year gymnast at Iowa State from Norwich, England, the decision has been nothing short of transformative. “I’d never heard of Iowa until I got offered a visit. I had no idea what it was,” she recalled. Although she had visited America before on family holidays, she was taken aback by how different Iowa was compared to other states she had explored. “It was so calm,” she said, and it stood in stark contrast to cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles that she had visited before.
When she first arrived, her plan was to complete her four years of college and return to England. However, as time went on, her aspirations shifted. “Realizing the opportunities here in the States and how great they are is something that surprised me, and I see my future here now. I want to apply to grad school and…
