Winter break is something everyone looks forward to. International student athletes at Buffalo State understand the anticipation more than anyone, after four long months of not seeing their families. However, leaving for break can be bittersweet, especially for students like Remi Skvorc.

Skvorc is a 20-year-old freshman, business major and basketball player here at BSU. He moved here from Spain in August 2023 to pursue his education. Unfortunately, a scheduled six-week break gives him only two weeks to prepare for his upcoming season.

Skvorc was born in New York. His family, consisting of his parents and older sister, moved to Finland when he was one, and Spain when he was 13.

“I definitely have been sometimes, where I am like, it would be nice to call my mom and dad, but obviously there is a big time difference,” he said. “It is six hours, so if it’s 6p.m. here, they are already asleep. So, then I am like okay, I am on my own for the rest of the day.”

Moving alone to another country at 20 to pursue a dream can be scary. But, for Skvorc, the pros tremendously outweigh the cons. This is his dream, and he will do anything to achieve it.

“It was hard at the start, but I think I am a little bit older,” he said. “I kind of knew I was already matured in that way, and I kind of knew what it was going to be. I didn’t really get struck at all. I was ready for it; to figure it out on my own, figure stuff out on my own.”

Skvorc has only been playing basketball for three years, with several years of soccer and dance already under his belt. His family had some reservations, but ultimately knew this was best for the dream Skvorc was reaching for.

“My family was very supportive, and they wanted me to just try whatever. That is what I really wanted to do, so they were happy to help.”

Coming to the U.S. for collegiate basketball was not a far-fetched dream for Skvorc. Where he is from, intercollegiate sports are not nearly as prominent, almost nonexistent. Even in high school, there are only club sports. The European University Sports Association (EUSA) exists, however, this is incomparable to the competitive level of intramural, or in some cases club sports, at U.S. institutions.

The people he played with at home were professional basketball players, and most of them were older than him and had been playing for years. That atmosphere prepared him for college level, especially the “strict regimen.”

“Everyone there was getting paid to be there and to play basketball. Obviously, I couldn’t, because I knew I wanted to come over here, and if I would have, I would have lost my amateur status. It is a genuine job, so they have to take things seriously.”

Skvorc is among 19 international student athletes at Buffalo State, according to Zachary Nau, Athletic Communications Assistant. Sacrifices had to be made to benefit his goal of making a career out of his talent back in Europe.

Everything is done, he says, “for the love of the game.”