 "Photo:")
Laura Georges is not your ordinary student-athlete.
For that matter, The Heights' Female Athlete of the Year is not your ordinary athlete.
Georges, a senior communication major from Versailles, France, began playing in the French national program at age 16 and made her first appearance for the French women's national team at age 17. Since then, the defender has been a mainstay with "Les Bleues."
She was named as one of the 20 finalists for the FIFA world Women's Player of the Year award.
For three years, she performed her world-renowned magic right here at Boston College, striking fear into the hearts of ACC attackers.
With her graduation looming, she is on the verge of an exciting future in soccer.
Not only will she continue playing for the French national team - whose qualification quest for the 2009 European Championships will begin shortly after this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup, which France is not a part of - she also has a chance to play professional soccer both abroad and in the newly reformed WUSA, which will relaunch in America next year.
What brought this world-class soccer player to BC all the way from France? A stroke of luck, for both Georges and BC.
"BC came to France to play an exhibition against my club team, Paris St. Germaine," recalled Georges, a freshman attending Leonardo de Vinci University in Paris.
"I wasn't even supposed to play in that game," said Georges. "It was a weekday game, and I had [national team obligations] during the week and was only supposed to play for my club team on the weekends."
Fortunately, she did play in the game - and BC's coaches immediately noticed her talent and approached her shortly thereafter.
"They asked me if I would be interested in playing in the United States … and I said that I [would be]." She said that she had "always loved learning and speaking English" and was interested in coming to BC to get a great education.
Georges was also contacted by Rutgers before making an official visit to BC, where she came to "love this place, the atmosphere, and all the girls on the team." She was also impressed by the recruiting process, which is something that "doesn't happen in Europe. It was definitely a different experience," she said.
"In Europe, it's a lot different ... You don't need to study in school to play soccer, you play for a women's club team. I was doing my studies independently … On the club teams, you play with 30 year olds. The [positive] to this is that you get the chance to play after you're done [with school] … but in America, if you're not [signed by a club] or picked for internationals, you're done playing," said Georges.
Soon after coming to BC, Georges realized that it would be difficult to have to go through the heavy burden of adapting to a new culture and a new language, attending classes, studying, and playing for the Eagles - all while flying to Europe several times a year to play for the French national team.
"It's been hard to have to travel back and forth so often. That's been the biggest challenge," she said.
She is quick to point out, however, that her support system here at BC and at home makes it possible. "My family back home has been very supportive … and when I come back to BC, I have my 'second family' here - my teammates, my friends, even the employees at Lower and Hillside - I get to know them and they all really support me and give me the energy to do this."
Academically, like all student-athletes, she faced the challenge of juggling school and athletics, but in her circumstance it was particularly taxing.
"I've had some attendance issues in my communications classes … from missing classes due to having to fly to Europe to play for the national team," she said.
"Some professors are really great and understanding about [the balancing act] … but others sometimes think that [student-athletes] are putting their sport ahead of school work, and that it's just a 'hobby.' But playing for the national team, you know, it's not a 'hobby,' it's an honor.
"Education is really important to me," she continued. "If I didn't want to go to school, I would have stayed in France to play there. I wanted to get a good education and a great experience here at BC."
Along with pursuing professional soccer options after graduating, Georges hopes to use her communications degree from BC to either further her studies through graduate school or obtain a job in the field of communications or marketing.
For now, though, Georges has a bright future in the beautiful game - one that could land her right back here in America next summer.
With the recent announcement that women's professional soccer is returning to the United States, Georges is now seriously considering a future playing in America.
"Even when I was back in France … it was always a dream to play professionally in the United States. Now, that dream may come true."
Be the first to comment on this article!