Testimonial of a summer experience that became a path to achieve goals

By Ivette nieto and Tatiana Batalla, Marketing department, Sánchez-Casal Academy.

When a player comes in the summer, he/she has a unique experience that makes them improve their tennis level, enjoy the activities, meet a lot of people from different parts of the world, get to know different cultures and leave with good memories of their summer. The beginning of the school is the end of a special summer, a summer that allowed the independent growth of a child who develops unique experiences. The school year complicates the possibility of accomplishing the goals of a boy or girl that is a sport lover and, at the same time wants to keep studying. The opportunity of staying to fulfill their dreams and the possibility of getting into an academy that combines an education in a school and a tennis training at the highest level comes to the mind of some young athletes that come to train on the summer. And someone asks, how does a kid that comes to summer camp decides to stay and study in the academy for the whole year?  

Lefeteri Apostolou from Venezuela and Santiago Diaz from Mexico share their experience of fulfilling their dreams to be able, in the future, study in a University in the United States. 

How did you get to the academy? 

“I heard about the academy because of a friend. He was here in the academy studying his last year of high school in ESIS international school. He recommended me the academy because he knew that I was looking for an academy to train during the summer break. I went to Florida for a vacation with my family and from there we went to visit some academies. When my friend talked to me about the academy, he convinced me that it had a friendly environment, so it was then when I decided to try to go for 6 weeks into the summer boarding program. When I got there, I was scared; I am not going to lie, my English wasn’t good and it was hard to talk with everyone but, there was always someone to help me. Also, I decided to take language lessons in the academy that helped me to improve my level of English. I remember that, in the first week of training I got so tired because of the weather conditions, I wasn’t used to it but little by little I realized it helped me a lot to get better with my tennis.” – Lefteri Apostolou 

Why did you decide to stay as an annual player after the summer? 

“I came to the academy for the second time on the summer and I really liked it, I enjoyed it and I made a lot of friends that I still have good memories with, and I still keep in touch. Also, I had a good relationship with the coaches that helped me a lot and from who I learned something new every day. In my second stay, I realized that training in an academy and studying in ESIS international school would open me more opportunities to get closer to my goal that was to be able to study in a University in the United States and be able to get a scholarship to play tennis in the tennis team.” – Lefteri Apostolou 

What difficulties you had in order to come to the academy in Florida? 

“In order to study in the United States, I needed a student visa which I had some trouble getting on time. Thanks to the help of the people working in admissions (Romy and Viviana) and the school principal that helped me to finish the process and get it done. The process took one and a half months of the school year to be completed so I had to skip that class time. When I got there, I had to catch up with all the classes and it was hard for me. Thanks to the professors that helped me catch up I got used to the schedule and I had all the homework and exams done by the right time.”-Lefteri Apostolou 

Did you achieve all your goals and expectations once becoming an annual student? 

“I feel that at the end it was all worth it, I achieved my goals and expectations as an annual student. I had a unique experience; I improve my English level by practicing a lot. The coaches helped me to get better with my tennis level, so I developed a lot more my game. I learned a lot of new things in tenis and in school that I didn’t know before coming. And most important, in life, I became friends with people from everywhere in the world that taught me and guided me through the year and that I will always be grateful for.” – Lefteri Apostolou 

From Sanchez-Casal we want to thank Santiago Diaz and Lefteri Apostolou that gave us the opportunity of learning a little bit more about their experience in the summer and their decision of staying with us.   

Ivette Nieto and Tatiana Batalla

Marketing department, Sánchez-Casal Academy