Freshman business major Noah Petralia travelled from Switzerland to Farmville after being offered an opportunity to play tennis. After talking with Longwood’s men’s tennis coach, Petralia wanted to come to Longwood because of the coach’s motivation.
Playing tennis has been a part of Petralia’s life for sixteen years. He started playing at age four and now dedicates a total of about 20-25 hours a week to playing and working out.
According to Petralia, Americans spend less time in a classroom than in Switzerland and it is easier to play a sport while going to school.
“Here [in America] it is perfect because my practice schedule is perfectly adjusted to my class schedule,” said Petralia.
Petralia’s favorite thing about Longwood are the class sizes. There are larger classes in Switzerland and the professors sometimes do not know names or if the students are attending class.
“I think the people are very nice here, like they hold open the door for you sometimes so [it’s] the little things and especially my teammates,” said Petralia.
Photo of Noah Petralia
