When did you start playing sports, and what inspired you to begin?

I started playing sports at a very young age and tried many different activities. Eventually, thanks to my dad, I started playing tennis when I was five years old. At first, I didn’t really enjoy going to practice—it just didn’t keep my attention—so I quit after about a year. Then, when I was seven, I decided to give it another try. From that point on, I trained regularly and began taking the sport much more seriously.

How supportive was your family of your decision to study and compete abroad?

My parents supported me in every possible way, and without them, I would never have achieved my dreams. I’m incredibly grateful for everything they did for me, both financially and emotionally. I’m an only child, so I know it was even harder for them to let me move to the United States.

How did Study N Sport help you?

Study N Sport gave me the resources I needed to connect with American universities. They guided me through the application process, explained everything I needed, and prepared me for what to expect during my college years in the U.S.

At the time, there was far less information available than there is today, so I often felt completely lost trying to figure everything out on my own. Their support was invaluable in helping me achieve my goals.

How did training in the United States compare to training in Hungary?

In Hungary, I mostly trained through private lessons rather than group practices, so joining a full team was a big change.

The men’s and women’s teams trained together, which felt unusual at first, but it turned out to be incredibly beneficial. I had the chance to practice with male players who were much stronger than I was, and that motivated me to raise my own level.

Strength and conditioning was a major focus, providing me with an excellent physical and mental foundation. One of my assistant coach’s core beliefs was that we had to truly believe in ourselves and in our ability to achieve anything. That was something I had struggled with before. I had always lacked confidence and doubted whether I could accomplish the goals I set for myself.

I learned to believe in myself, and that mindset often made all the difference in matches when I found myself trailing by a set.

From my experience, our team also placed a huge emphasis on mental health and making sure everyone felt supported. Of course, it also depends on the individual—you have to be willing to grow if you want your coaches to help you change.

How easy or difficult was it to adapt? How did you manage with the language?

Adjusting was actually very easy for me. I owe a lot to my coach, who helped me with everything I needed.

Our team was incredibly international, with players from the United States, Mexico, Ukraine, Russia, Serbia, and Sweden, so everyone was very welcoming.

At first, I was nervous that I wouldn’t understand people because I had only ever used English in Hungary and had never really spoken with Americans before. I was also afraid to speak because I wasn’t sure how people would react to my accent.

As it turned out, nobody ever made negative comments about it. In fact, people actually liked hearing different accents—especially European ones. Many even told me they thought it sounded cool.

How different was your diet compared to what you were used to in Hungary?

There was an incredible variety of food compared to what I had been used to in Hungary, so that was a major difference.

My two favorite grocery stores were Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, where I could always find healthy ingredients to prepare delicious meals.

At first, even choosing where to eat when I didn’t want to cook was overwhelming because there were so many restaurants to choose from.

That said, my overall eating habits didn’t change much because I always tried to eat healthy. The difference was simply that healthy options were much easier to find in the United States.

What did your everyday life look like?

Most days I had classes from the morning until around 1 or 2 p.m.

Our apartment was very close to campus, where the women’s tennis team lived together. Six of us shared the apartment, with two girls in each room.

Since campus was only a five-minute walk away, I usually went home for lunch after class. Practice started at 4 p.m., so I always tried to eat something light beforehand.

Training lasted from 4 until 7 p.m., and afterward the girls and boys who lived nearby—mostly international students—would all walk home together.

Evenings were usually spent doing homework, preparing for the next day, and, if there was any time left, relaxing.

Of course, things were different during the competitive season. If we had away matches that required longer travel, we were excused from classes. But on a typical training day, that was my routine.

What is your proudest achievement or favorite memory from your tennis career?

During my first year, we won the Women’s Tennis State Championship, becoming the first women’s team in our school’s history to accomplish that.

It was an unforgettable experience.

But honestly, I’m not most proud of my results. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. My dream was to continue my tennis career in the United States—and I achieved it.

Today, I’m a USPTA-certified tennis coach, and I work as the Head Coach at a tennis academy in California. I truly love what I do, and I get to live in a place that I love.

What do you love most about America? Do you think the “American lifestyle” really exists?

That’s a difficult question because there are so many things I love about America, while at the same time there are many things I miss about Hungary.

One of the first things I noticed was how friendly people are. They greet you when you walk down the street or simply smile at you.

The supermarkets amazed me as well. There were so many products to choose from that I didn’t even know what to buy at first. I remember taking photos of everything and sending them to my family.

Moving from Budapest to California was a huge change. Everything felt new.

What do you think about the American education system? What do they do differently?

Personally, I believe the Hungarian education system—especially at the elementary school level—is stronger than the American one.

Academic expectations are generally higher, and education is taken more seriously in Hungary.

My child is still very young, but this is actually the one aspect of living here that worries me. We’ll most likely choose a private school, and on weekends, our child will also attend a Hungarian school.

Which universities did you attend, and what did you study?

I first attended Cerritos College, where I studied Business.

Later, I independently applied for a full athletic scholarship that covered both my tuition and housing. Since my first college wasn’t fully funded, I wanted to challenge myself to earn a full scholarship.

I was fortunate enough to receive one and transferred to Florida State University.

Eventually, I wanted to return to California, so I completed my degree in Business at California State University.

Can you tell us what you’re doing now? How has your life evolved since your college years?

I became the Head Tennis Coach at a tennis academy near San Francisco.

At the moment, I’m taking a break because my first child was born last September, but I plan to return to coaching as soon as possible.

I moved to the United States when I was 19 years old, and in many ways, I grew up here. During the past ten years, I’ve only returned to Hungary for visits while gradually building my life in America.

It hasn’t always been easy. My family has always been far away, and although they supported me emotionally, they couldn’t be there physically when I needed them. There were times when I felt lonely, even though I had wonderful friends.

But I never lost sight of my goals and never gave up.

Eventually, I met my husband, and together we started our own little family.

For me, the American dream truly became a reality.

What advice would you give to young athletes who are thinking about taking the same path?

Don’t be afraid to take the leap!

America offers incredible opportunities—you simply have to learn how to make the most of them.

It isn’t easy, but if you’re persistent, willing to learn, and refuse to give up, almost anything is possible.

The beginning is always difficult. You’re far from home, surrounded by strangers, in a completely unfamiliar place. It was difficult for me too.

But people are incredibly welcoming to international students. Give yourself a little time, and before you know it, you’ll feel at home.