Elizca Buys

Few, if any Carthage students have come farther to attend the College than Elizca Buys, '06. The chemistry major from Bloemfontein, South Africa will tell you the long trip has been worth it.

Tennis players for opponents of the Lady Reds have gained little pleasure from her journey. In her first two seasons of competition, Elizca posted a 50-8 record in singles matches. Paired with Kelly Mikkila, '05, Elizca was an NCAA Division III All-American in doubles last year, and advanced to the Division III national quarterfinals. She was the second Lady Red tennis All-American, after Mikkila. She's a great tennis player, and we're lucky to have her, says coach Brady Lindsley.

That lucky break came in January 2002, when Elizca left her homeland to work as an au pair in Kenosha. While here, she began competing on an amateur tennis team captained by Deborah Schultz Heller, '76.

Mrs. Heller and several teammates suggested she investigate the possibility of attending Carthage, while Mr. Lindsley attended one of Elizca's matches.

In the meantime, Elizca returned to South Africa, and began studies at the 25,000-student Free State University. She says she had never given thought to studying abroad. "The school was awesome, I loved it," she says of her first impression of Carthage, but she adds that she thought studying here would be out of reach. I didn't think I was going to come here, she says. I went back home, and then I got the call from Brady.

Elizca was still a bit reluctant to make the move, but her father encouraged her. She recalls that he told her, Go. If you don't like it, I'll buy you a return plane ticket.

A professor at Free State University also urged Elizca to take the offer. If you don't, you're never going to know what could have been, he told her.

Elizca is glad she followed the advice from her father and the South African professor, and took the four-hour drive to Johannesburg and 18-hour flight to New York. The opportunities here, and the technology here, are so much better, she says. "In South Africa, you read about machinery, here you can actually work on it. Also, "we are on a first-name basis here with all the professors. That would never happen in South Africa, where she says schools are much more formal.

A second advantage she found here was more competitive tennis, although that was no surprise. Elizca says her favorite tennis player is Andre Agassi, and she also admires another American star. John McEnroe was awesome, she says. His attitude was a little harsh, but he's one of the all-time greats.

Elizca is captain of this year's Lady Reds team, and Mr. Lindsley says she will need to provide leadership, since the squad has no other seniors. She's got a great personality, and is a hard worker, Mr. Lindsley says. I'm as impressed with her off the court as on. She's an unbelievable student, a leader, and a great kid.

To be sure, life in the U. S. has some drawbacks. The weather is awful, Elizca says. She also misses her favorite sports back home, cricket and rugby. I would rather watch cricket than anything on TV, she says. Baseball is a little boring to me, but I do like watching the Packers.

So where will she go once she graduates? At this point, I have no idea, Elizca says. I'm considering getting my master's in the U. S., but I'd like to go home for a couple of years. My mom is missing me a lot, and my brothers too, though they don't want to admit it.