For Michael Martey, studying outside of his home country of Ghana was an unexpected opportunity.
“Many people in Africa want to travel and experience other parts of the world and other cultures,” said Martey. “For me, it wasn’t in my interest to study abroad.”
However, when he got an exclusive opportunity to work with a consultant on the SATs, he took it, eventually applying to schools in the United States.
“I applied to Middle Tennessee State University and eventually chose to attend because of the diversity,” said Martey.
A skilled soccer player, Martey began playing on MTSU’s club team. His talent caught the eye of the coach who encouraged him to pursue larger opportunities, since the school doesn’t have a men’s soccer program.
After getting a tryout through Coach Levy, Martey received an offer to play for Trevecca. He transferred his sophomore year, and was able to continue his major in criminal justice. The adjustment from Ghana to Tennessee has not been an easy one, but he has made an effort to focus on what is most important despite the challenges.
“I really like it here but it's been hard adjusting. There is a lot of culture shock for me because of where I came from and how differently we do things in Ghana,” said Martey. “You have to try to adapt to the changes but make sure you don’t step away from the path God wants you to be on.”
Even though it has been a challenging journey at times, Martey has seen the growth in his own life and he’d encourage international students to consider Trevecca.
“My experience has been really good with my studies, spiritual life and with the soccer team as well,” said Martey. “If international students get the chance to come to Trevecca, they should grab hold of the opportunity. It's a good school to build you spiritually and there are a lot of scholarships available. It will be awesome.”
Martey has a few more years of soccer ahead of him, and he hopes to stay at Trevecca to advance his education and career goals.
“Once my F1 visa is done I have to go back home, but I am fortunate to have two more years to play soccer,” said Martey. “God willing, I will graduate in May and get into the MBA program at Trevecca. I really want to be a customs officer and work at an airport or maybe on the border. That is my main focus for the future.”
