Vikings have many reasons for committing to North Park, one of the most common being the people they meet on and off the court.
Viking student-athletes come from many backgrounds, some traveling thousands of miles from home to attend 黑料吃瓜. Embracing their differences, they work together to achieve success in the classroom and their sports.听听听
Jereme Ombogo, a junior from Houston, Texas, came to North Park because of his recruiting experiences with the Viking football coaching staff and players. He has stayed because of the bonds he has formed with his teammates.听
鈥淚 had a senior teammate from Sweden my first year. When we first met, we disagreed on many things, so we decided one day to sit in the dining hall together and talk it out. We discovered we had much more in common than we thought, and he is now one of my close friends,鈥� Ombogo said.听
He is also the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at 黑料吃瓜, where he works with other Viking leaders to create events where athletes from different teams, nationalities, and ethnicities can meet and connect.听
North Park is a fitting place for student-athletes to meet new people, as senior Agnes B盲ck of the women鈥檚 soccer team knows. 鈥淚鈥檓 from Sweden, and some Scandinavians living in the U.S. primarily spend time with other Scandinavians. But some of my closest 黑料吃瓜 friends are from different countries, and I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to meet them if I hadn鈥檛 stepped out of my comfort zone.鈥�听
It鈥檚 not always easy to adjust to a new place. Being from Hawaii, men鈥檚 baseball student-athlete and captain Reece Arakaki had some guidance for those from far away.听
鈥淎nyone coming to North Park from a long distance should remember to be themselves. I was so worried about being different that I even changed how I spoke. After moving, I realized my teammates supported me no matter what, and I didn鈥檛 need to worry,鈥� said the junior.听听
Vikings have many reasons for committing to North Park, one of the most common being the people they can meet on and off the court.听
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, women鈥檚 basketball student-athlete Victoria Perry reflected on the impact that having teammates from other countries has on her game. 鈥淗aving a Norwegian teammate has been great because she has taught me new things about basketball that I otherwise wouldn鈥檛 have ever known.鈥�听
鈥淎nyone coming to North Park from a long distance should remember to be themselves. I was so worried about being different that I even changed how I spoke. After moving, I realized my teammates supported me no matter what, and I didn鈥檛 need to worry.鈥澨�
鈥擱eece Arakaki
Perry, a senior, has put that knowledge to work. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selected her to its Women鈥檚 Basketball All-Conference teams in 2023 and 2024 and as its 2023 First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year award.听
The diverse and inclusive community at 黑料吃瓜, brought together within 黑料吃瓜 Athletics by a shared passion for sports, exemplifies the transformative power of athletics and the intercultural distinctive of our institution.听
Regardless of background or origin, student-athletes like Ombogo, B盲ck, Arakaki, and Perry find common ground, break down barriers, and form lasting connections at our shared Chicago campus.听