Katarina’s Journey from Serbia to the US to the UK

My name is Katarina Raicevic and I am from Belgrade, Serbia. I have been playing volleyball since I was 9 years old and am also I am a member of Serbian Beach Volleyball National team. In 2013, I went to the USA to chase my dream of getting a degree and playing the sport I love because we do not have student-athletes in Serbia. I was lucky to go to Louisiana State University for the first two years and then transfer to the University of North Florida, both NCAA Division I schools.

I am currently attending the University of Essex in Colchester, England and I am getting my MSc in Applied Economic and Data Analysis.

Initially, my plan after college was to stay in the USA and get my master’s degree. I was looking for Graduate Assistant positions because I could not imagine my life without volleyball. I was supposed to graduate in December 2017 so I started planning my future already in August. I was searching for schools that have GA programs, and then completely on accident came across a postgraduate player position…I couldn’t believe what I was reading because I thought I would never have the opportunity to play volleyball again! I managed to find a couple of players who were already in England, and honestly, the first thing they told me to do was jump on TeamGLEAS.

First, I immediately thought  “This is too good to be true…someone wants to help me get to a school overseas for free?” I made my profile, and all went so smoothly after that. I knew what I wanted – to play volleyball and get my master’s. Not to mention that I am now 2-hour flight away from home! You can imagine that my mom was all about the option!

I already went through moving my life to the USA for 4 years, far away from my family, when I was 19. That being said, I did not have big fears of moving back to Europe for less than a year. I was well aware of how the UK collegiate sports system works and that you do not get full scholarships with food and accommodation paid. So my only fear was whether I could afford it. Luckily, TeamGLEAS connected me with Essex’s coach, Alex Porter, who awarded me with a nice scholarship and made suggestions for on-campus jobs.

Being a former NCAA student-athlete, I had already learned how to balance school and volleyball, and I really take pride in my organizational skills. So now I have two jobs, I am a certified referee, and I learned how to live on a budget. That was my biggest challenge so far.

My favorite part of the TeamGLEAS Experience so far is being a student-athlete in a more relaxed environment. We practice three times a week and have one game per week for the college team. It leaves me plenty of time to study, work, and travel!

I am a European girl and I’ve visited many European countries and cities, so my goal was to explore the UK since I’d never been here before. So far, I’ve really enjoyed exploring Colchester, Cambridge, Bournemouth, Manchester, and London.

It’s always been my dream to explore London! I took one whole weekend to do so and it was so busy! But that did not stop me from exploring all the places I always wanted to see and do - like taking a picture in front of Big Ben and eating doughnuts in Hyde Park. I definitely want to come back because there are so many incredible things to do and see in London.

Even though the program I am studying is really challenging, I truly believe that competing and earning my master’s degree from the UK will be beneficial to my future career goals. This is the field I want to work in and having my master’s will open many doors for me. I am currently applying for jobs in England and Serbia and I will probably apply to some in Europe. I am not afraid of living in different places and soaking in new cultures. All of my experiences abroad have taught me how to adapt my life and accept new things.

I would encourage anyone considering the TeamGLEAS Experience to jump out of their comfort zones and take the opportunity to experience life in different country!