General | 11/17/2022 1:24:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – One thing that makes college athletics unique is its ability to bring together student-athletes from different places with diverse backgrounds to a single team that works towards one common goal as a collective unit. 
 
A prime example of this situation comes from the Bloomsburg University men's soccer team, which has 30 players from eight different states in addition to three international student-athletes from England. Despite their different hometowns, experiences, and playing styles, the squad was able to rally together as a team and capture 14 wins, tying a single-season record. The squad also advanced to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship title game for just the fifth time in program history, and the team's diversity may have actually paid dividends for the Huskies this year.
 
"I think it almost helps sometimes that there are players from everywhere," said Collis Heleine (Cambridge, England/Hills Road Sixth Form College), a forward from Cambridge, England, on Thursday during International Students Week. 
 
"Having international guys is good and provides more experience for the other lads, and I also think having guys from different states is great because you all have different styles, and we all came together to make it happen this year. I think having such a diverse team is just a great experience and great for playing styles," Heleine added.
 
Heleine is one of 16 international student-athletes at Bloomsburg, and the junior has two other teammates from England who now call the only town in Pennsylvania their home. While the small community differs from his hometown, Heleine enjoys his time at Bloomsburg University as a student-athlete. 
 
"It's definitely different from home, but I feel like Bloomsburg as a community is just fantastic. You come in and you feel like you're really part of the town, and that really helps settling in. It's just a really friendly culture. I think being a small town and the university being the center of the town, it just brings everyone together and I think that's what sets Bloomsburg apart from other schools," Heleine said.
 
Luana Bernardi (Aruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Reino), a senior women's tennis player from Sao Paulo, Brazil, agreed with Heleine's observation about Bloomsburg being a tight-knit community and said it was easy to get adjusted to the culture at Bloomsburg. 
 
"I agree with everything (Collis) said. I think everyone is very friendly and it was really easy to make friends," she said. "I'm friends with a lot of people from different teams and I think that it's nice we all have this kind of friendship."
 
Oliver Wiesemann (Jena, Germany/Deutsche Schule Málaga (Spain)) is one of 11 international players on the men's tennis team and noted another positive aspect he's seen from the university during his time as a student-athlete. 
 
"I think that the support system here is very good. Whether it's other students or faculty, when you have a question, everyone is willing to help you. And if you're an international student struggling with something, they are willing to help even more," he said. 
 
Wiesemann is from Germany, which is one of seven different countries that are represented on the men's tennis team. Wiesemann explained that having teammates from other countries has helped balance life as a student-athlete at Bloomsburg. 
 
"I think it makes it easier for us to understand our challenges. Since we all have different backgrounds, we know it's not as easy sometimes. When there's problems, we can support each other and we probably have similar challenges even though we are from different parts of the world," said Wiesemann, who is also a captain for men's tennis team this year. 
 
Though tennis is more of an individual sport, players do compete together as a team during dual matches, and players must work together as teammates during doubles competitions. Victor Martinez (Barcelona, Spain/Padre Damian Sagrados Corazones), a men's tennis player from Barcelona, Spain, admitted that there are some difficulties that must be overcome in order to be successful during doubles competitions. 
 
"Sometimes it's tough with language barriers, but we practice every day and you have to know your partner, so we work through it," he said. 
 
Weisemann also explained that doubles competitions are a bit different in the United States when it comes to signaling positions for serves, returns and volleys. 
 
"In the States, the coach basically tells you what the signs are and you have to adjust. Everyone kind of speaks the same language then," he said. 
 
Bernardi is one of two international players on the women's tennis team and has a unique story about how she decided to enroll in Bloomsburg as a student-athlete. The senior explained that one of her friends from a tennis academy in her native country of Brazil played at Bloomsburg while she was getting recruited, and her hometown friend – recent BU graduate Giovanna Bonito – talked her into becoming a Husky. 
 
This season, Bernardi is a team captain for the women's team along with Sarah Capoferri (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg). As captains, the two have acted as leaders for younger players, and that includes being a mentor for fellow freshman teammate Jen McDonald (Melbourne, Australia/Brentwood Secondary College), an international student-athlete from Melbourne, Australia. 
 
"She's always really interested in learning," Bernardi said of McDonald. "I remember the first practice, she would watch Sarah and I playing doubles and come up to us to ask questions. Then she thanked us because she said that made her feel really included and thought that was a nice thing to do."
 
Bloomsburg is one of 18 institutions in the PSAC, and every campus has at least six international student-athletes competing in college athletics. In total, there are 419 student-athletes in the conference from countries other than the United States.
 
The 16 international student-athletes from Bloomsburg are listed by sport below:
 
Men's Tennis
Fernando Barros (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Hoosac School)
Iu Casamitjana (Igualada, Spain/Escola Pia Igualada)
Chaitanya Choudhary (Karnal, Haryana, India/St. Theresa's Convent)
Sergio Dilan (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Cedin)
Albert Martin (Barcelona/Instituto Menendez y Pelayo)
Victor Martinez (Barcelona, Spain/Padre Damian Sagrados Corazones)
Vini Moura (Recife, Brazil/Hoosac School)
Vishesh Patel (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India/Asia English School)
Scott Redmond (Paget, Bermuda/Warwick Academy)
Arnav Sharma (Haryana,India/Suncity School)
Landon Wall (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca High School)
Oliver Wiesemann (Jena, Germany/Deutsche Schule Málaga (Spain))
 
Women's Tennis
Luana Bernardi (Aruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Reino)
Jen McDonald (Melbourne, Australia/Brentwood Secondary College)
 
Men's Soccer
Mackenzie Fairs (Uckfield, England/Palmyra Area)
Collis Heleine (Cambridge, England/Hills Road Sixth Form College)
Olly Whitham (Clitheroe, Lancashire, England/Settle College)