Finding my second home: An adventure at 12,000km
Since I arrived on campus, I began to feel at home. I felt welcomed by every person I met, but also by nature itself. And a big plus to my adventure is defending Koç’s colors in every basketball game.
I always like to enjoy nature, sunrises, and sunsets. Here it became a hobby, capturing every sunrise from my dorm window and enjoying every sunset during my daily run. These are the moments where I find peace and motivation. They make me feel grateful, as each sunrise means that there is a new opportunity to be taken and each sunset means that a new start can be made. It is very important to say thanks and I add this word in Guaraní, the second official language of Paraguay, “Aguyje.”
But that’s not all, one of my great passions is basketball, which I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old. So, I was very excited to be part of Koç’s team. Officially, the day of the try-out arrived and it was there that I began a new adventure within the adventure of being here. I could say that I felt complete, studying what I am passionate about and pursuing my greatest hobby: basketball. Defending Koç’s colors with my #7 jersey in every game is like a dream, and more than anything an honor. If someone asked me three years ago, I would never have imagined that I would be on another continent playing basketball.
AGUYJE
Maia Jocelyn Velázquez Vera
College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Psychology Major, Cognitive and Brain Sciences Track Program, Sophomore
