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Dominican Scholar-Athlete Follows His Dream to the Hill
by Chris Merchant
Vanderhorst comes to the net. (Photo by Sarah Reiff)
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The Dominican Republic is about as close as it gets to most people's picture of paradise: temperatures in the mid 80s all year long, great weather, and a beautiful landscape.
But for Joel Vanderhorst there was something missing in his life - something so powerful that it would make him relocate to Mars Hill, N.C. That force was the opportunity to do what he loves: play the sport of tennis, with the added bonus of getting his education.
Unlike here in the United States, schools in the Dominican Republic do not offer competitive sports teams. If you want to play a sport you must do it on your own time. The decision to either play sports or go to school is a difficult and often risky one for athletes. Most choose one or the other, rarely both.
Vanderhorst is one of the rare individuals who pursued both paths. He would go to school in the morning through early afternoon, then spend the rest of the day at a local tennis court near his house. Since he was seven years old he has played tennis.
As a child his role models were his father and Pete Sampras. His father played tennis all the time, so it rubbed off on him. And he always tried to model his game after Pete Sampras. As he grew older he would participate in more and more tournaments and competitive matches.
With his college years approaching swiftly, Vanderhorst knew that he would soon have to make a decision -- whether to continue playing tennis or to go to college. He discussed the issue with some of his friends, one of whom went to college in Western North Carolina. Knowing that his friend went to school in the United States, he asked if he knew of a college where he could go and still play tennis. His friend referred him to Mars Hill College.
Vanderhorst at Mars Hill. (Photo by Chris Merchant)
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That was when Vanderhorst realized, "If you want to play sports and go to college, you gotta make it to the states." Vanderhorst was not about to let the opportunity to play tennis and go to college slip away. In his words, he was going to "kill two birds with one stone."
When he first came to Mars Hill, Vanderhorst was in a state of shock. Although it was mid-August, perhaps the hottest time of the year in this area, he was amazed to see people wearing shorts because he was freezing. In fact, he got very sick from practicing in what he called "cold weather."
After getting used to the cooler weather, he had to tackle the language barrier. Spanish is the main language spoken in the Dominican Republic, but English is taught in the schools. When he first got here he knew some English but still had difficulties communicating.
Now a senior, Vanderhorst is aiming for graduate school in engineering or agriculture. On the tennis team he believes that his experience will be a valuable asset. He says this year's tennis team is by far the best he has seen since he's been here. "This year's team has really gelled, and I think we are going to be very successful."
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