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| Junior Emma Lawrence (No. 15, back row) played soccer in Costa Rica and lacrosse in England and Scotland this summer. |
Throughout the summer, we're checking in with several returning student-athletes who are partaking in unique experiences relating to student research, an internship, or sport through cross-cultural exchanges. Our third profile features Emma Lawrence, a rising junior, two-sport student-athlete. Lawrence took part in a pair of cross-culture learning experiences.
First, Lawrence traveled to Costa Rica for a soccer excursion with Beyond Sports Tours, an organization aimed at creating mutually beneficial opportunities for collegiate student-athletes, international athletes, and international youth to enjoy a life-changing cross-culture experience through sport. While there, the first-team all-conference defender gave back to the sport by partaking in a clinic for Special Olympic participants and a second one at a local school. On the pitch, Lawrence and fellow Div. III student-athletes from across the country squared off against the under-18 national team and several premier teams in the region.
"Beyond Sports Tours wanted to show the participants (of the clinic) that following through with academics and playing athletics is possible," summed up Lawrence. "Being able to play a common game allowed for nonverbal communication between the Div. III student-athletes and the children, especially since a lot of us, including me, do not speak (fluent) Spanish."
Next, Lawrence headed to England and Scotland with USA Athletes International and partook in a quartet of lacrosse contests against English and Scottish club teams.
"These trips opened my eyes to how different the culture in other countries are," stated Lawrence. "The castles and different historical sites gave me a background into the culture in England and Scotland."