November 18th 2023.
HBCUs have begun to recognize the importance of diversity and inclusivity in their student-athlete programs. North Carolina Central University, known for its tennis program, has granted a full scholarship to Alejandra Hidalgo Vega, a sophomore from Madrid, Spain. In an NPR interview, Vega shared how this opportunity has changed her life.
"I always wanted to play in the U.S. because I wanted to get a scholarship and be able to be in a university here," she said. "I really enjoy being in an HBCU - I have a lot of fun."
Vega was surprised by the way college sports are regarded in the US compared to Europe. She admitted that she didn't know much about African-American university culture at first, but nonetheless it has offered her a chance to advance her sports and academic career.
According to WABE, NCAA reports show that there are over 24,000 international student-athletes across all three divisions in the United States, compared to the last decade. In order to diversify their student body with athletic powerhouses, HBCUs have begun to work with third party recruiters.
Alabama State University Head Tennis Coach Anuk Christiansz expressed his desire to see more African Americans playing tennis, and to give them the opportunity to play college tennis at the highest level. This sentiment was echoed by Tuskegee University's Head Tennis Coach Gregory Green, who said, "We feel that there's a lot of Black students that need the opportunity to go to college and play tennis. Those are the ones we recruit. And we want to keep it home. This is an HBCU, and we're going to stick to that all the way through."
Green added that it's important that the international students recruited are still helping the Black community in some way. He believes this is an important mission of HBCUs, to provide Black kids the opportunity to be great.
HBCUs have started to embrace diversity in their student-athlete rosters, and this is something that has been truly transformative not only for Vega, but for many athletes across the United States. With the help of third party recruiters, HBCUs are offering a once of a kind opportunity to students from all over the world.
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