Dec. 2, 2014
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Rebecca Burkhardt
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- While on a life-changing trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines with Knights without Borders, Caroline Eberhart realized she wanted to do more. She wanted to do something that would last longer than her first trip out of the county.
"I knew that I was only going to be able to see and interact with these kids for just 10 days, which wasn't enough time to make a lasting impression," Eberhart said. "So when I found out they were looking for mentors, I immediately jumped at the opportunity."
The next day, Eberhart was introduced to an all-start student-athlete with the Kerosene Lamp Foundation, Selisa.
"I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to get to converse with Selisa a couple times a month," Eberhart said. "I love learning about what she does in her daily life, as well as things about her friends and her family."
The two discuss Selisa's academic and personal goals, everything from straight A's to pursuing a career in medicine and coming to the United States.
Selisa is so committed to achieving her goals that she travels by ferry every morning from her home island of Bequia to the main island of St. Vincent. Her commitment to a one-way, 1-hour trek is something that Eberhart sees in a part of herself.
As an Indiana native, Midwest weather is not ideal for aspiring tennis players. Eberhart came up with a solution.
"My dad made a deal with me," Eberhart said. "If I won the high school state individual championship I could play at a tennis academy in Florida."
Eberhart knew how important it was to be able to play at a tennis academy. She would have the opportunity to play all day, every day if she wanted to. It became her mission.
After losing a close semifinals match her freshman year, Eberhart nearly suffered the same fate her sophomore year but refused to be held back from her dream.
"I made it to the semis again and I lost the first set 6-0," Eberhart said. "I came back and won the next two sets and then eventually went on to win the final."
Eberhart won the bet with her dad, and at 16 years old, she was off to Plantation, Florida, to train at the Nick Savaiano High Performance Tennis School. She had to make the move by herself while her family stayed behind in Indiana.
Making the adjustment was not all that difficult for Eberhart.
"I feel like I have always been pretty independent," Eberhart said. "As a child, I went to weekend tournaments and stayed with host families that I did not know. I have always done whatever it took to keep playing tennis."
One of the things that Eberhart took from her experience at the academy was if you really set your mind to something, you can accomplish it. Fortunately, she had parents who were more than willing to help her achieve her dream of playing college tennis.
She hopes in some way she can be that same influence for Selisa, even from nearly 1,700 miles away.
"I want to be able to help her with any distractions she might face, as she matures and becomes a young woman. I am so excited I will be able to help her with this transition into a new stage of her life and to keep her focused on the goals she has set for herself to succeed," Eberhart said. "She has already shown me huge desire to want to succeed and that makes me so excited to mentor her. I know Selisa has a great amount of potential and I can't wait to see what she will accomplish in her future."