Hundreds of student athletes leave home each year to represent Michigan State at the varsity level. For MSU's 71 international athletes, the adjustment also includes pages of visa applications, a maze of documentation, and an unfamiliar culture.
Hailing from five continents and 29 different countries, each international athlete at MSU holds unique experiences about their transition to life in the United States. For some, like MSU volleyball’s Taylah Holdem, who hails from Christchurch, New Zealand, that transition began in chaos.
“It was the most overwhelming experience ever,” Holdem said of her experience at Los Angeles International Airport. “There was staff screaming at us, going in different directions. Everybody was yelling and all the cops had guns. It was crazy. Actual culture shock, right there.”
Holden is now in her junior year at Michigan State and happily considers East Lansing her home. But getting to MSU was far from simple.
Most international athletes make a verbal commitment to a university months before moving to the United States, giving schools time to sort out visas and documentation. Holdem committed to Michigan State after graduating secondary school in December 2023, leaving less than four weeks to prepare for her January arrival.
This left Shane Wilkinson, Michigan State’s director of volleyball operations, working on a tight timeline. He rushed Holdem’s embassy appointment and helped refile her documentation after it was denied the first time. From there, his priority was ensuring Holdem had all the support she needed.
“They're halfway around the globe from what they know and what they're comfortable with,” Wilkinson said. “So my job is to make sure that they are comfortable and they have everything they could possibly need. Even having things prepared that they may not know that they need.”
Wilkinson's role extends far beyond paperwork. He guides each international athlete through meal plans, bank accounts and has even purchased sheets for their beds. Holdem credits Wilkinson as a key part of her support system while adjusting to life overseas.
“Everybody needs a Shane in their life,” Holdem said. “He did extra–so much more than he needed to. I think if everybody had a Shane, somebody that specialized in international [athletes], it would make things a lot easier.”
Holdem’s journey to East Lansing had some obstacles, but other athletes describe a smoother transition. Junior Tommi Männistö, a forward for MSU hockey, had a simple recruitment process from Riihimäki, Finland - all it took was a Zoom call with the coaching staff.
“I fell in love with it [Michigan State],” Männistö said. “Everything. The facilities, the mentality here, how to do things. Basically everything made me choose here.”
Männistö remembers his move to the U.S. as seamless. Other than having to adjust to small talk, Männistö had little trouble transitioning to life in East Lansing.
Männistö can credit the individuals behind the scenes for his seamless transition. Directors of operations handle the bulk of that adjustment period. Eleven varsity sports at MSU have one or more designated individuals to handle operations. Those staff members, alongside MSU’s Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS), are international athletes’ main support system as they navigate life in a new country. Wilkinson, who has worked at multiple universities over the last two decades, calls MSU’s system one of the best.
“ We have a group of people that fully understand that not only are these people coming to campus for the first time completely around the globe, these are people we are hoping can excel at the highest level of collegiate athletics,” Wilkinson said. “It’s our responsibility. Just because they commit to Michigan State and they get here, the journey for them is far from over.”
11 varsity sports have directors of operations, but the other ten varsity sports do not. This includes the field hockey team, which has 10 international athletes, and the rowing team, which has nine. For those sports, the work that the directors of operations do for other teams is given to the coaching staffs.
Junior Taym Alazmeh and sophomore Danial Rakhmatullayev, members of MSU’s men’s tennis team, credit their head coach as their main lifeline. Alazmeh is originally from Damascus, Syria, but he lived in Qatar for eight years and Germany for four before coming to MSU. Rakhmatullayev is a native of Aktau, Kazakhstan. He lived in Georgia as well before coming to the United States. They both credit Harry Jadun as their biggest support system:
“ It's not even a question,” Rakhmatullayev said. “He understands that he brought us here, and he provides everything we need to be here. Harry is doing a great job and I'm very grateful.”
“ I don't think that it’s normal for a head coach to be spending his time trying to help me figure out my visa or take me to the bank to set up my bank account here,” Alazmeh said. “He does a lot for us as individuals.”
Alazmeh, Rakhmatullayev, Holdem, and Männistö all mentioned their freshman year roommates as some of their largest support systems during their transition. For Rakhmatullayev, that was Alazmeh.
“ He's like my big brother,” Rakhmatullayev said. “I feel like the connection between us is so strong and it's just a blessing to meet your soulmate who can help you and who can be there with you in difficult moments. We're a team, we're a family, we're always together.”
Rakhmatullayev and Alazmeh mentioned some more difficult transitions to the United States. Rakhmatullayev had a language barrier, and the pair also mentioned mental health and having to jump right into competing as obstacles.
Despite the roller coaster the athletes have been on, all four have found success at Michigan State. Holdem, a Second Team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman Team honoree her first year, says that she “can’t imagine leaving”. Männistö, now a key forward and leading goal-scorer for MSU hockey, says it’s “the best decision he’s made for his career”. Alazmeh earned Academic All-Big Ten Accolades last year while going 11-8 in doubles play and said he would "definitely do it again.” Rakhmatullayev earned both B1G Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors in his first year, and said Michigan State “made him who I am.”
“They are very much a part of our family,” Wilkinson said. “We are going to take care of them the absolute best we can, and do whatever we can do for them. We're absolutely going to make sure that they find success at Michigan State.”