Recent graduate Begum Gumussoy ’25 traveled halfway around the world to find her home

When she arrived in the United States to attend college, Begum Gumussoy ’25 had never been away from her family. Even as a professional tennis player in Turkey, one or both of her parents accompanied her to every single tournament and event. But for the chance to play collegiate tennis, she took a risk and traveled halfway around the world, by herself, to a foreign country where she knew no one and barely knew the language.  

“Looking back at it now I’m like, ‘wow, that was really brave!’” Gumussoy said.  

Gumussoy’s time in college was fraught with challenges above and beyond what a college student typically faces. She was originally enrolled at South Carolina State University but had to transfer due to circumstances beyond her control. After finding a new home at Lees-McRae, she needed to change her major since Lees-McRae didn’t offer her original choice of cybersecurity. In her final year of college, she experienced both a hurricane and a serious injury that derailed her senior season.  

Any one of these obstacles would be enough to break someone’s spirit, especially in addition to being in a strange country for the first time in her life. But Gumussoy approached each challenge as an opportunity to grow. 

Unfamiliar with English? She pushed herself to become proficient in her first few months in the United States. Unable to pursue her original field of study? She decided to build a versatile skill set through a Communication Arts and Design degree. Far from family? She learned to advocate for herself and make the most of the opportunities available to her.  

“I cried so many times. I’m not going to lie,” Gumussoy said. “It was hard, but I tried to keep my mind strong and make my family proud. I grew in so many ways.” 

Gumussoy thrived at Lees-McRae, where she graduated cum laude and made the President’s or Dean’s List nearly every semester. The small class sizes and close relationships with her professors helped the college feel like home—a major comfort when her actual home was 13 hours away.  

She chose to major in Communication Arts and Design because her father is a graphic designer, and she’s always had a knack for visual arts. Through her work in the classroom, she was able to hone her skills in art while also learning more about the professional side of a career in the arts. Gumussoy hopes to eventually open a branch of her father’s graphic design company in the United States and believes that the artistic and business skills she developed during the program have set her up for success in that pursuit.  

Balancing her athletic and academic commitments throughout college was not an easy task, but her drive to make her family and herself proud kept her going. Her experiences playing tennis at both a collegiate and national level also informed her work: she knows on a personal level how easy it is for an athlete to see themselves only through the lens of their sport. For her senior project, she wanted to give her fellow Bobcat student-athletes the opportunity to see themselves as more than an athlete through a series of mock magazine covers. She took inspiration from similar photoshoots with magazines like Vogue that portray athletes like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova as multifaceted individuals.  

“I wanted to do that in my way, with other student-athletes. I wanted to help them find themselves, not just being an athlete,” Gumussoy said. “Athletes can be something else too, they don’t have to focus on one thing.”  

Graduation was a bittersweet moment for Gumussoy. She is ready to begin the next chapter of her life, but she will miss the place she has come to love.  

“My friends and I used to go down to the bridge and sit around the rocks, swim in the water,” she recalled fondly. “Now, outside the Pinnacle is my spot. I usually sit there, watch the mountains. That makes me relax."  

For other students—especially international students—considering Lees-McRae, Gumussoy has one piece of advice: “Definitely come.” 

“It’s like a family for you,” Gumussoy said. “The professors always open their arms for everyone and make you feel like you’re home. All the teachers and staff are so welcoming.”