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Playing Tennis Leads to Success and Pride

Adina  Spahalic (2)

YES Student Adina Spahalic from Bosnia and Herzegovina has had a successful exchange experience so far in more ways than one.  In the following story, she shares her success and pride in representing her country and her US high school as a tennis champ in Cambridge Springs, PA.  

"I am simply ecstatic to be one of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Study and Exchange scholarship recipients from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to have an opportunity to study abroad for a year in the United States of America. I say this not only because going to America will probably prove to be one of the best years of my life, but also because I have the opportunity to play tennis with some American competitors, a chance most tennis players from my country never have.

The past four months in Edinboro, PA have been rather busy for me, but all of my hard work paid off as it led to a number of tennis awards and trophies. After a week of tryouts and practice on my high school tennis team, the coach placed me as the first player of our team. It was an honor for me to have an opportunity to represent my new high school, General McLane.

Tennis season kicked-off in September and our team participated in well over twelve meets with other schools from the 10th District. I am proud to say that I finished the season undefeated. At the end of the season, we played the 10th District Tournament, where I played with top players from other high schools and - I won, therfore becoming the district champion. This is the first time since 2001 that someone from the General McLane High School won the 10th District Tournament.

Two weeks after the tournament, I traveled to Hershey, PA where the final and the most important tournament of the season happened — the Penn State Championship. At the tournament I played with other top district players (a total of ten), where I competed with some of the best high school tennis players from Pennsylvania. In this tournament, I won the third place. My third place win is the first time in the history of General McLane High School that someone has won a Penn State Championship title.

Throughout the tennis season, daily newspapers and online portals published articles about me and I even appeared on local television a couple of times as well. Frankly, I am still dazzled by all of the success I have so far achieved for my new school, my district and for myself. I am also extremely proud to have had a chance to represent the wonderful athletes of Bosnia and Herzegovina."


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