Far from home: a Chapman international student-athlete perspective

Khenny Norgay (left) and Tobi Howe (right) pass a ball back and forth during practice for the men’s soccer team. Photos by DANIEL PEARSON, staff photographer

International students make up only 5% of the student population at Chapman University. Even a smaller percentage are a part of the athletic programs at the university. 

For all the fall sports teams, only two student athletes are from outside the U.S. Coincidentally enough, they both play the same sport.

Tobi Howe and Khenny Norgay, both members of the men’s soccer team, were put in a unique situation being far from home, traveling across the world, adjusting to different playing styles and acclimating to a brand new environment in Southern California. 

Howe is a senior business administration major hailing from Tokyo, Japan. He exercised his fifth year option to come back and play for the squad. 

The forward has had an impressive career so far after appearing and starting in 12 of the 15 games in the 2021 season, tallying three goals, two assists and seven shots on goal. 

In an interview with The Panther, he reminisced about his freshman year at Chapman and how he adjusted as an international student. 

Both seniors on Chapman’s men’s soccer team, Khenny Norgay (left) is from Bhutan and Tobi Howe (right) is from Japan.

“Coming into Chapman, I had to get used to the different level of physicality that was played here versus being in Japan,” Howe said. 

Going to an American school in Japan helped Howe in terms of adjusting culturally, but still he felt the need to explore.

With that attitude, he was able to bond and connect with his teammates, which he says is one of the most memorable aspects of being a part of the team. 

Another memorable part of the experience for Howe was scoring a game-winning goal with his teammates cheering and rooting him on after the heroic effort. 

“I remember the guys being excited about the goal and it was a fun experience,” Howe said. “They were all yelling and jumping on me.”

His teammate Norgay, a senior business administration major, is an international student from Bhutan. 

The forward shares similar sentiments about adjusting to the physicality of the game, but there are some differences for him, too. 

As a participant in the tryouts for the Bhutan national soccer team, Norgay picked up some key things about the difference between U.S. college soccer players and athletes from his home country. 

“I felt like those in Bhutan played more for a purpose,” Norgay said. “A lot of them come from poorer areas and use that to work hard at the sport.” 

Getting adjusted to the time difference, he also pulled from his experience of going to a boarding school within the U.S. for four years. He cites drinking water to help him sleep. 

Norgay has some key advice for other international student athletes. 

“Go out and explore where you are,” Norgay said. “Find out who is from around the area and have them take you to see things that you have not seen.”

Howe shared similar sentiments and advised international student athletes to not be afraid to reach out but enjoy the moments you have with your teammates as well. 

The second home men’s soccer game is on Tuesday, Sept. 6 against Bethesda University at 1:30 p.m.