From the other side of the Atlantic

One of seven international girls on the Boise State women’s tennis team, international student from the Slovak Republic Jana Mackova stands out as a passionate, well-rounded student.

Although her passion for tennis brought her here to the U.S., Mackova is also a dedicated student with a great love of education.

“I chose Boise for many reasons,” she said. “I really liked the tennis program here, they have my degree, international relations, and I really found Boise a nice place to be and study.”

Mackova’s decision to come to America was aided by her father, who suggested the idea when she was only 15.

“My dad was doing all the research,” she said. “He actually he created a tennis profile of me on the Internet and then I was receiving, messages, e-mails from different coaches and different universities.”

Universities all over the U.S., including Yale, Arkansas, Kansas State and North Carolina, attempted to recruit Mackova. One of the main reasons she chose Boise State was because of the tennis coach.

“Coach is amazing,” she said. “[He] was really helpful with all the paper work. He was talking to me all the time, calling, sending e-mails.”

If Mackova stayed in Europe she would not have been able to play tennis while attending college. To keep playing tennis once she turned 18, she would have to go pro.

“Everyone dreams about coming to a foreign country and studying and playing sports,” she said. “We don’t do it back at home, it’s the only chance for us to keep playing.”

Finding somewhere to study international relations was also important to Mackova. In Slovakia she said there are only two colleges she could have studied it at so she had a lot more options here in the U.S.

“I think it’s better to study international relations abroad as well,” she said.

One thing Mackova really enjoys about her chosen field of study is the ability to learn about different countries and their politics.

“Now I’m taking this Russian and Eastern European politics, and it’s funny because I am from the region,” Mackova said, adding that she has learned the history of the area already back home.

“It’s interesting to see how my classmates look at this area,” she said. “Sometimes we have totally different ideas and opinions and it’s really interesting, I like to compare our opinions.”

Mackova likes how interactive her classes here in America are. She hears from her brother and friends at school back home that they just go to lectures and take exams. She feels that by working on projects and papers, as well as lectures and exams, she is getting a better rounded education.

“It just seems like they go there, listen and they don’t do anything on their own, so here we are more practical I would say,” she said. “I guess after getting a degree in America you are ready for life.”

Despite these definite benefits to studying here, Mackova misses her family a lot.

“My family is pretty small, just my parents and my brother and we live with my grandmother,” Mackova said. “I think they are proud of me to be here … it’s better for me to be away from them and just be independent and learn how to get ready for life. I miss them though.”

Mackova is leaving after finals this week to fly home for the holidays to be with her family.

“I would die if I had to stay here for Christmas without them,” she said. “Christmas is such a great family time. I love my family.”

Mackova stays in Boise during the summer vacation to train with the tennis team. She also volunteers as an official in tennis tournaments with the local tennis community.

“This is an amazing opportunity for me and I just want to give something back to society,” she said.

She also likes to float the Boise River, swim at Lucky Peak and explore Boise by bike during the summer.

In the winter she would like to ski but can’t while she is on the tennis team in case she injures herself.

“I have been skiing since I was 4 years old and I started playing tennis at 7 and then I had to chose, skiing or tennis,” said Mackova. “Tennis is just what I like … I’ll have time for skiing, my whole life, but tennis, I’m gonna be done after college.”
Back home Mackova was able to ski a lot with about 10 small ski resorts within a 50 mile radius of her home town, Nova Dubnica.

“It’s one thing I really miss,” she said.

Once she graduates next year, Mackova plans to try to find a job here in the U.S. and, if that doesn’t work, she will go home to work.

She would also like to go to graduate school in the future.

“I consider grad school a really good opportunity and if it’s in front of me I will definitely take it,” she said.

Mackova has enjoyed her experience here in America. She has gained valuable knowledge and life-long friends.

“I am a really lucky person because I have my team, I have my classmates and I like to talk to my professors and now I work in the Rec Center so I just meet new and nice people every day and it makes life so much better.”

Fact box: Slovakia

• Population – 5,455,407 (July 2008 estimate)
• Life Expectancy – 75.17 years (2008 estimate)
• GDP – $110.2 billion (2007 estimate)
• Unemployment – 8.4 percent (2007 estimate)
• Oil Consumption – 79,350 bbl/day (2005 estimate)
• Currency (including exchange rate) – 24.919 Slovak koruna per US dollar (2007)
• Language – Slovak (official) 83.9 percent (2001 census)
• Dominant Religion – Roman Catholic 68.9 percent (2001 census)
• Literacy rates (age 15 and older can read and write) – 99.6 percent (2001 est.)

Located in central Europe south of Poland, Slovakia is about twice the size of New Hampshire. The Slovaks joined with the Czechs after World War I after the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire forming Czechoslovakia. The country became communist under Soviet influence following World War II, but became free after the USSR collapsed in 1989. They peacefully separated from the Czechs in January 1993 and joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004. Although officially called the Slovak Republic, the country is also widely known as Slovakia.

Information courtesy of cia.gov

TABITHA KEILY
News/BizTech Coordinator

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