Coming to America

Suzi Soldi. Photo courtesy of Pensacola State College

The landscape was unrecognizable for Suzi Soldi when she landed in Pensacola. Coming from Milan, Italy — a metropolis studded with imposing cathedrals, prominent opera houses, cutting-edge fashion and one of the biggest stadiums in Europe — Soldi found solace in the relaxing beach and clean air so different from her homeland’s congested traffic and frenetic pace.

Though memories of heaping pans of lasagna layered with creamy bechamel sauce filled her with longing for Italy, Soldi, like many other international students, discovered opportunity here, planted roots and made Florida her new home.

How did we get to this strange place?

In 2009, with the political and economic situation in Venezuela at dangerous tipping points, Valentina Poggioli came to the United States to pursue her master’s degree. She chose Pensacola State College for its robust program in strategic communications and leadership coupled with a stalwart support system to help international students integrate into life in the U.S.

Others, like Soldi, came for the opportunity to play in women’s college sports. In her home country, softball didn’t get much support — the only way to be on the field was to play for a travel team. But fate intervened.

“When I played on the national team (in Italy), one of my (future) coaches was there watching,” Soldi said. “She gave my dad a card. I called, and they offered me a scholarship to come play.”

Patricia Gandolfo, a native of Brazil, is entering her third season as the head volleyball coach at Pensacola State College. She graduated from the University of West Florida, where she was an assistant coach for nine years. Photos courtesy Pensacola State College

Patricia Gandolfo. Photos courtesy Pensacola State College

Brazilian Patricia Gandolfo also found wider opportunities abroad. A lifelong volleyball player, she followed a friend to the U.S. to play at the collegiate level.

“I ended up at Missouri State University, but I didn’t understand it was a junior college. They won and would pay for my flight round trip — I didn’t grow up with a lot of money so that was a big deal,” Gandolfo said.

Like Soldi, she came from a large city filled with people, traffic and endless stores. West Plains, Missouri, presented a much different lifestyle. “There are 10,000 people and one Walmart, and I loved it.”

A Second Family

Jeanne de Simon, international student advisor at the University of West Florida (UWF), often overhears students manning the department’s front desk, helping new students navigate the virgin territory.

“They talk about the best supermarkets, how to get your driver’s license or things professors say that they don’t understand,” de Simon said.

Seen as a hub, the international affairs department helps students find resources to make life easier as they adjust to their new surroundings. De Simon added, “They’re not alone; we’re here to help them become part of the larger student body, get involved in their department and integrate more smoothly.”

As Gandolfo’s time drew near in Missouri, she realized she didn’t want to leave the U.S. She started paying attention to the brochures and scholarship offers from four-year universities, eventually landing at UWF.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and graphic design and put feelers out for a job to help her stay; she found one with her coach. She fell in love with coaching volleyball and eventually obtained a full-time position with Pensacola State Athletics.

For many international students, acclimation starts on campus at events like UWF’s Coffee Hour held every Thursday. Some 60–80 students from all over the globe crowd together along with representatives from departments like counseling and psychological services, the African Student Union and the Hispanic Student Association to share a cup of coffee and a serving of fellowship.

“You may not have friends the first week or the second, but you’re going to make some friends,” de Simon said. “It’s a very open, collaborative group that supports one another.”

Challenges to Stay

Homesickness ranks chief among barriers to staying in the U.S., but the pandemic compounded the stress. Soldi arrived in 2020, just two months before COVID-19 forced foreign students to leave.

“I had to fly back home and stay there for six months,” Soldi said. “I came back to college when they opened the border, but then I couldn’t go back home for Christmas.”

For the first time in 20 years, she spent the holidays without her family.

Navigating the nuances of the English language presented challenges for the students, but not nearly as much as the onerous paperwork that comes with a bid to stay in America. Student visas can be obtained relatively easily, but they require you to be a full-time student and limit work and on-campus opportunities.

After graduation, Poggioli obtained her work visa and, years later, her green card, but full citizenship still eludes her. After a long, expensive, stressful process, she plans to apply in 2024. It’s been even more difficult for Soldi who wants to move on from her student visa and find permanent employment that will afford living wages. Gandolfo also cited the paperwork as her biggest challenge to continuing her life in America.

“Coming as a student, it’s easy, but once you’re done studying, that’s hard. (Luckily), UWF agreed to (sponsor) my work visa,” Gandolfo said.

Once obtained, it lasts three years and can be renewed once.

“It took forever, but I got my renewal approved,” Gandolfo said. “Now, because I’m married, I’m in the process of getting a permanent green card, but that also is taking forever. It’s almost like you can’t take a deep breath until you get final approval. As soon as I get mine, I will take a deep breath and then apply for citizenship.”

A New Home

Valentina Poggioli. Photo courtesy Valentina Poggioli

Some, like Poggioli, find other international students with the same dreams as them. Her now husband came from Venezuela to study as well, they met at college and decided to make a life together in Pensacola.

“I love the sense of honesty and hard work people from the USA have,” Poggioli said. “It motivates me to be part of this culture and contribute as a professional.”

Soldi’s parents recently visited their daughter’s adopted home to see why she loves it so much. They ventured out to New Orleans and Tallahassee, and she took them to Pensacola Beach where they saw the clearest water they’d ever seen. They were convinced.

Gandolfo’s friends and family felt the same.

“The opportunity to coach volleyball opened the door for me to stay in the United States,” Gandolfo said. “My best friend came to visit, and when he went back home, he told my mom he understood why I love it — now he wants to move to Pensacola.

“I just can’t see myself ever going back to Brazil.”

Students at the University of West Florida gather for weekly International Coffee Hour sessions where they share laughs and compare experiences. Photos Courtesy of University of West Florida