FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA - The start of the summer typically includes students filing out of their dorms and heading back home to be with their family and friends. This is a time of excitement and joy, as the responsibility of school work goes out the window. However, for one senior Shark athlete, the option of going home was simply inexistent. For Venezuelan native Barbara Sansur, the uncertainty and danger in her home country gave her no choice but to stay on campus during the summer.

Entering her third season with the women's rowing team, Sansur has been a staple in the varsity four boat that received SSC Boat of the Week Honors and earned a silver medal at the FIRA Championships last season. She had also spent time near the end of the season in the varsity eight boat which showed great improvement as the year progressed.

For many international students, it is extremely tough to be so distant from everyone who loves and supports you. Factor that together with the culture shock, language barriers and unfamiliar academic customs – it's easy to see how it could be overwhelming. For Sansur, it was not the easiest of transitions coming to the United States, but her experiences as a student-athlete with the rowing team have not only made her more comfortable around her peers, but it has molded her into a strong independent woman.

Q1: What are some initial challenges that you as an international student faced on your journey to NSU?

A1: As an international student, I faced many challenges when moving to the United States. Before coming to NSU, I studied a year at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. It was there where I faced the first challenges; however, a lot of these challenges transferred with me to NSU. The language was my main obstacle. I have never considered myself a shy person until I had to speak to everyone in a language I did not feel comfortable with. I knew English before moving to the United States, but when got here and realized that I actually needed to speak and I freaked out. Sometimes it was really hard to understand my professors, I had trouble understanding questions in exams and writing essays were a headache. Outside of class I also faced the same problem; I was embarrassed by my accent so I avoided conversations that weren't 100% necessary, unless they were with Spanish speakers. The colloquial English was a huge challenge, not knowing slangs and the common informal words made it hard to communicate sometimes. Besides language, the cultural difference represented another huge challenge. Little things like food, the way I say hi to people or the way I joke with people back home are very different here, and I quickly realized that.

Q2: How has your experience with the rowing team over the years helped you get through those challenges?

A2: Joining the rowing team was definitely the best thing I could have done. As I mentioned before, I am a transfer student, meaning that when I came to NSU I had to go through the process of being a new international student for the second time. This time was harder, and I was ready to go back to Venezuela or UCF. I decided to join the team to feel part of something and find what I had in UCF, and I definitely did. Joining the team "forced" me to speak English, what I have always avoided, and it facilitated the process of making friends. This sport also boosted my confidence, helping me overcome any other challenges.

Q3: How tough is it to be in a different country, away from your friends, family and support staff?

A3: It is very hard. When I was home, I never thought it was going to be this hard. You really do not understand how much you miss someone or something until you stop seeing it every day. During my first years, I handled the homesickness very well, because I stayed busy so I didn't think of what I left back home. However, my first summer was very tough. I was by myself and that is when I realized how much I missed my family and my country. Every time I had a problem, I couldn't just call them for help, so I was forced to do everything by myself. Ultimately, it made me extremely independent - the only good thing about it.

Q4: Talk about the current situation back in Venezuela and having to stay here during the summer to work

A4: The situation back home, it's very complicated. The delinquency, food shortages and many other problems have affected my family and the country in general. Being away is very hard for me, knowing everything they are going through just makes me feel bad because I am the one who gets to be here and not them. The situation also does not let me see them as often as I would like to. I get to see my brothers and my parents usually once or twice a year - if I'm lucky, but I haven't seen some of my aunts and my grandma in over two years, and before December I had two years without going home. Due to the shortages, I send food and other things they can't find back home whenever I can. 

You can catch Barbara and the rest of the Sharks rowers this Saturday as the squad travels to her old stomping ground of UCF to compete in a scrimmage against the Knights.

Be sure to follow @NSU_Rowing on Twitter or visit NSUSharks.com for updates and results. To keep in touch with the team be sure to follow nsu_rowing on Instagram and @NSURowing on Facebook.