TACOMA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran University women's tennis student-athlete Bayley Gochanour took advantage of the University's study away programs during the fall semester, spending the first part of the academic year in Mexico.  
 
"The experience as a whole is my most favorite thing that I've ever done in my whole entire life," said Gochanour.
 
Gochanour, a junior, seized the opportunity to study away in Oaxaca during the 2019 fall semester and absolutely loved it. She believes the program strongly catered to her interests as a Hispanic Studies and Global Studies double major, and complemented the themes of courses she previously took at PLU.
 
"I had the opportunity to practice Spanish, have fascinating conversations with people to gain a variety of perspectives that are not from the U.S., and learn far more about myself in the process," Gochanour said. 
 
On top of her academic passions, Gochanour is also a member of the women's tennis team at PLU. While attempting to train abroad, she realized tennis is not very prominent in Oaxaca culture. 
 
"After many conversations, it became clear to me that playing tennis is oftentimes not very financially feasible, and there are very few public access courts nearby where we were living," she said. "This is something that I absolutely had always taken for granted."
 
Since it was difficult to find a place to train and a partner to play with, Gochanour stayed in shape by hitting the easier to find gyms in Oaxaca. Although tennis was absent, she noticed exercise, through the form of gyms and exercise classes, was a large part of daily life for the Oaxacan population.
 
Along with adjusting to training with a court, Gochanour earned to adapt to the unfamiliar environment. By being flexible and open-minded, she was able to make the most of the time she had in Oaxaca. Gochanour connected this skill of adaptability from her study away experience to her life as a student-athlete. 
 
"We had to be willing to be uncomfortable and learn from our experiences and our mistakes to enable conscientiousness throughout our adventures," Gochanour said. "As players, we need to be willing to adapt to these different situations and use what we can control to our advantage, rather than being defeated by discomfort."
 
Gochanour is incredibly grateful to her coaches, Head Coach Cheri Campbell and Assistant Coach John Campbell, for being understanding and encouraging of her study away in Oaxaca. 
 
"Without their support, it would be far more challenging to be a student athlete and study abroad, and I am very thankful for them!"
 
Out of the many incredible memories made throughout the semester, Gochanour highlighted her chance to witness and participate in the of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. She had grown up learning about the holiday from her mom, a Spanish teacher, and described the celebration in Oaxaca as, "truly a dream." 
 
Now back at PLU, Gochanour is ready to hit the court for the upcoming tennis season, but her experience in Oaxaca will continue to influence her academic and athletic life. 
 
"I truly could not have imagined a better study away experience to embody what I have learned and am learning through my majors at PLU," Gochanour said. 
 
Gochanour and the Lutes begin the spring portion of their season on Feb. 8 with a dual against crosstown rival University of Puget Sound.