Ryan Parry
Senior Tatiana Illova celebrates a point during her doubles match with junior Joelle Kissell against East Carolina Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Illova and Kissell lost their match 8-6 at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center.
Studying abroad can have different meanings and objectives for each individual. Many people take the plunge into another country because they want to view life from a new perspective. Others embark on the journey to escape from their lives at home.
One member of the N.C. State women’s tennis team was able to gain a new perspective on her life from her visit to West Africa.
Senior Tatiana Illova spent her Fall 2012 semester studying abroad in Ghana. She went under the ISEP program, a global student exchange consortium with 300 member schools in 50 countries. Illova was the only student from N.C. State in the program. She took political science classes during her time in Africa.
During the program, Illova was able to tour the country from the beaches to the mountain areas. She also stayed in a dorm with other students from around the world, along with local students.
“I met some amazing people. I made many friends from the U.S. We were really good group,” Illova said. “I met many people from Germany and Norway. It was hard to make friends with the Ghanaians a little bit, but I made two really good friends from there.”
While she was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Illova said it was an eye-opening experience – being without many of the luxuries in the United States gave her a different point of view.
Illova is from Slovakia, which is still considered a third-world country.
“I learned how to be patient,” Illova said. “When I was going there, in 12 hours, my life changed so much, because I came from a third-world country to [another] third-world country where people have totally different values.”
“They don’t think like they’re definitely going to get to eat dinner,” Illova said. “It just showed me a different type of life. How to just try to live from a little bit.”
Illova said she experienced a change in her personal values after studying in Ghana.
“I learned to value natural resources, such as water for example,” Illova said.
Illova said at times there was no electricity available in her dorm, and many of the locals didn’t have electricity at all. Through the experience she said she has learned not to be wasteful not only with natural resources, but other things many developed nations take for granted.
Now, Illova says she tries her best to not be wasteful with anything. She is no longer picky about food, nor does she waste electricity.
The experience has also seemed to spark a change in Illova’s play on the court. Last season she won seven dual matches and seven doubles wins. This season, Illova is one of the leaders on a Wolfpack squad that sports an unblemished record. She and doubles partner junior Joelle Kissell have already won five of their matches in the young season. Illova is also 5-1 on the season as the No. 2 singles netter for the Pack.