Noelia Gomez is a sophomore tennis player majoring in International Studies with a business emphasis and a minor in Spanish. She calls Canet de Mar, a small town that is close to the ever so popular Barcelona, Spain, her home.
Asking about what she most enjoyed about SNU so far, Gomez responded, “What I enjoy the most about SNU is meeting new people and spending time with my friends. I also get the chance to play tennis at the same time that I am studying. That’s something I couldn’t do back at home.”
Gomez is a tennis player, and is enjoying her time on the team this year. When asked what she most enjoys about the team, she spoke with nothing but excitement.
“What I enjoy the most about the tennis team is how close we have become,” Gomez said. “We didn’t know each other before, because we are a [completely] new team. We encourage each other not only in the court but also with the classes and life in general. Since there are three international students on the team, we always try to spend time together on the weekends and on holidays.”
Gomez got her start playing tennis after her parents encouraged her to find something to do in her spare time.
“I was deciding between horseback riding and tennis,” Gomez stated. “I tried both, but I liked tennis more. I started playing tennis when I was 8 for fun on Saturdays. Then at the age of 12, I started playing 3 days a week. Since the age of 15, I have practiced every day.”
When asked what sport she would play if she had not gotten involved in tennis, she mentioned that she enjoyed individual sports, so it would either be horseback riding or golf.
Besides playing and practicing for tennis, Gomez also enjoys listening to music, dancing, painting, reading and photography. Her favorite motto is “Hard work always pays off.”
“I like this sentence because I consider myself a hard worker,” said Gomez. “I never had easy gifts in life. I am here in the US, and all things happen to me because of my own earnings and hard work during my life.
When it comes to her biggest achievement, Gomez effortlessly answered, “Coming to the US to study and play tennis with a scholarship is my biggest accomplishment. I see that I am improving a little bit every day. Even though some days are tough, it helps you learn.”
When asked what she is most looking forward to in the spring season, she once again replied with eagerness.
“I am so excited for next season because it is our tournament season. I think we can do great this year! We are putting so much effort in the practices, [time in the] gym and also outside of the court as a team.”
[author image=”http://echo.snu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/prof.-pic.jpg”] Morgan Rodgers, Staff Contributor
Morgan is a Mass Communication student conquering her junior year. She loves everything about being outdoors, working with animals and pretty much doing anything creative. [/author]