Q&A with freshman Paulina Los
Sept. 27, 2010
Freshman tennis player Paulina Los is a native of Poland, and a recent graduate of the United European Secondary School. Prior to her arrival, in Lawrence, Los had never been to the United States. Now in her first semester at the University of Kansas, Los plans on majoring in business. Already, Los has made her mark on KU Tennis, making it to the finals in singles at the KU Invitational two weeks ago.
Q: How did you hear about KU?
A: I heard about KU from my recruiter, Marcin. I knew he had plenty of connections in the U.S., and I asked him to help me to find a solid school with a good tennis team. He advised me to look at KU, and I was very pleased with it. I immediately started contacting (head coach) Amy Hall Holt.
Q: When did you decide to come to the States?
A: I decided about two years ago. Some of my friends from back home came to the U.S., and they were really happy with their decision. I thought that this would be the best option for me because in Poland, it is difficult to combine being an athlete and a college student at the same time. Polish universities do not care about sports that much, they care more about studying. Here I have time to do what I love, which is play tennis and study.
Q: Why did you want to come to the United States?
A: I have never been here before, so I wanted to see the States. I really like traveling, meeting new people, and knowing more about different cultures. I am really excited to travel to tournaments, because I will see a lot of different places in the States.
Q: How did you feel when you first arrived to the United Sates?
A: I had heard a lot about the U.S., before I came here. I immediately noticed that people are very helpful and kind to me here. I still have some difficulties with the language and getting used to the new culture, but I really like it here.
Q: Do you miss home?
A: I miss my family very much. I haven’t moved anywhere before, so this is a big change for me. We try to talk as often as possible. When we have time we talk for 2-3 hours on Skype. During the first week my dad was calling me on the phone, but when he got an incredibly high bill we, unfortunately, had to stop talking on the phone. I also have a younger brother, Sebastian, who I miss very much.
Q: When did you start to play tennis?
A: I have been playing tennis for 13 years. My dad gave me my first tennis racket. My dad plays tennis for fun. He enrolled me in a Polish tennis school. I played in my first competition when I was nine years old, and I took fourth place out of four girls. But I didn’t give up.
Q: What do you think about the team?
A: I already made friends with lots of girls in the team. I like it that they are not only just my teammates, but they became my really good friends in this short amount of time. (Sophomore transfer) Monica Pezzotti is not only my teammate, but also my roommate and we get along very well.
Q: What are your goals for the fall season?
A: I would like to give my best in every tournament. I also need to get used to playing in the hard court because in Poland I used to practice only on clay courts. I think it is really important when a player steps on a court to fight with a 100 percent and never give up. I would like to improve my doubles game and also become a little bit stronger.
Q: Have you decided what is going to be your major?
A: My major is going to be business, but I’m not sure particularly which part of business I am going to study.
Q: Do you have any difficulties with English?
A: I am taking only English classes which are really helpful. I have reading and writing, speaking and listening and grammar classes. When I don’t know some words I usually ask my teammates, especially I turn to (freshmen) Dylan Windom or Teagan Seeley. They are really patient with me. They explain everything to me as many times as I need it.
