Observer

Issue date: 10/13/08 Section: Page Two

Media Credit: photo by Sarah Rahman

Observer: What brought you to Rutgers-Newark?

Nevarez: Mainly I was looking for a college that I could participate in Division 1 volleyball, and what brought me was basically the location of
Newark. A lot of my friends from Puerto Rico are starting in the Northeast, Boston, D.C., and in New York, and all those places are easy to get to from Newark. I go to New York every weekend.

Observer: When did you start playing volleyball?

Nevarez: Started in seventh grade because of my height [at 6'6"] and my coaches thought I was tall so they asked me If I wanted to join and I had nothing to do, I played. A scout from a club team asked me to play, and then from there I played with the court team and then played every
year through high school. In Puerto Rico, people look up to people that go to the NCAA because it's highly competitive. Also, it's a good experience to live in another country because you get to get out of your comfort zone.

Observer: When did you come here?

Nevarez: Eleventh grade. I went to boarding school in Florida from eleventh to twelfth grade.

Observer: What do you miss most about home?

Nevarez: The beach. I almost went every single day over the summer in Puerto Rico.

Observer: What do you like most about the U..S?

Nevarez: The diversity. You get to experience a lot of cultures and different points of views on religion and every cultural aspect. It's not like that in
Puerto Rico.

Observer: What do you dislike about the U.S.?

Nevarez: The cold.

Observer: What are your hobbies?

Nevarez: In Puerto Rico, I played beach volleyball, went to the beach, of course, ran and read. Here, I like to go to the city.

Observer: When are you going back to Puerto Rico next?

Nevarez: During Christmas break.

Observer: What do you hope to do after graduation. Go back home?

Nevarez: I don't plan to move back there. I plan to go to grad school because I want to be an athletic trainer.




Interview and photo by Sarah Rahman

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