Aldana Foigel is a senior communication major with a journalism track and a business minor. Foigel is an international student from Plottier, Argentina, who was once part of the Argentinian Golf Team. Last year, she competed at the NSU GolfRank Invitational and was selected to the Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
What are the pros and cons of being a student athlete?
“[Athletes] have so many things to keep up with and a team that is always there for you, so you always want to try your best. Since we are trying to keep up with [academics, athletics and a social life] we become very responsible and self-reliant. We are very reliable too because we are so disciplined, too. The friends I’ve made here and the environment at NSU is the best. Being an international student, being a student-athlete made the [acclimation] process so much easier.”
What is your favorite thing to do after a tournament?
“My favorite thing to do is eat. When we play tournaments, we are generally on the golf course for 11 hours straight. So when we finish, I can’t wait for some carbs and protein. So eating and sitting down with my teammates is my favorite thing.”
Who do you consider your biggest role model?
“I’d say my parents. Both of my parents inspire me every single day. When I’m struggling, need something or when I’m happy or sad, they are always there. I’ve learned so much from them. They are very responsible people and very supportive. They don’t care what [sports I focused on], they were just there for me. They were very supportive of me coming to America which was very important to me.”
What do you plan to do after graduation?
“I’d like to try professional golf. There is something called the Qualifying school, or Q School, in August where athletes can compete for a place in the [Ladies Professional Golf Association]. There are three stages, so if you make a certain cut then you can go through the stages. I’d like to try that either this year or next year. If not this year, then I’m going work on a masters degree. But I would like to stick around in America for a little bit.”
What drove you to play golf during college?
“In Argentina, you devote your life to university and the student-athlete opportunity doesn’t exist. So it’s really hard to keep playing a sport the way I wanted to [in Argentina]. I talked to my parents and we looked into colleges from America. NSU was the one I liked the most and I thought why not try because the worst case scenario is I just go [back to Argentina]. So I took the risk and I’m so happy I did.”
What has been your favorite moment of the season so far?
“Winning. We won two out of the four tournaments and we placed second overall for the season. My favorite thing was playing again. I was injured the whole season last spring and I had surgery in June back in Argentina. Before I came back, I was doing rehabilitation and when I came back [to NSU] I made the lineup and it was really exciting because I was feeling healthy again and we go to that tournament and we win. It was very exciting”
What are some of your goals as an athlete?
“My number one goal is to play in the LPGA tour someday. I would like to keep up with the lifestyle when I graduate. I want to keep up with this athletic lifestyle and pass it on to my children one day. I’d also like to give back to NSU all the gave to me. I’m never going to be able to help [the community] in the same way they helped me but I really want to try. Once a shark, always a shark and I know NSU will always be a major part of my life.”
What has golf taught you?
“Golf relates to life so much sometimes.I always say that I give so much [of myself] to golf and It doesn’t give it back to me. It’s hard. Its practicing four hours a day and then going to a tournament and maybe not doing too well. Golf taught me patience and discipline. If you work hard for what you want, good things will happen. It has taught me that nothing is impossible so set your goals and work towards those goals, you can achieve them. It taught me to be honest. Sportsmanship is so important to golf that being an honest person is at the core.”
How would you describe the relationship with your teammates?
“We are like a family. We are a team of seven so we spend a lot of time together. For tournaments we ride in a van for five or six hours and we can all rely on each other. They are like my second family. All seven of us are international students and since we feel so far away from home, it’s nice that we can be close and create this group while we are here [at NSU].”
