Florida Women’s Basketball: Family makes Gainesville feel like home.

The life of a college athlete is undeniably challenging.

Players sacrifice their free time, social life and many traditional college experiences to dedicate themselves to their team and sport. Athletes may leave their hometown to play at the collegiate level, some even their home state. But, few leave their home country to do so.

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 17,000 international students contribute to the roughly 480,000 college athletes who play NCAA sports. Furthermore, only 4.4 percent of players who play women’s basketball at a Division I school are international students.

This year, Florida welcomes three more international students to its roster, totaling to four foreign players this season.

Find out why these athletes chose Florida over other schools: