From Cameroons to Rollins
Daniel Paulling
Issue date: 9/24/07 Section: Sports
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If you had lived in Bafoussam, Cameroon, and
wanted to move to Orlando, Florida, you would have to travel more than 6,100 miles,
learn how to speak English, and adapt to an entirely new culture. Luckily for Ines Teuma, a forward on the Rollins College women's basketball team, that transition seems to have been fairly easy.
She left her home country of Cameroon at the age of 18. Four years later, Teuma is faring well in the pre-med program and starting for the Tars.
Her brother, who recently graduated with a Ph.D. in Biomechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida, has been a huge part of her transition to living in the
United States.
"Because of my brother, it wasn't that hard" to adjust to life in the United States, Teuma
said. "He's helped me a lot, especially with how to handle things here and what to do."
Last year, her first at Rollins, she finished fifth on the team in points per game with 5.3 and fourth in rebounds per
game with 4.8. After losing the top two players from last season in both of those categories, her contributions will become even more important.
"She's probably as strong a player as I've ever had," women's head basketball coach Glenn Wilkes Jr. said. "She's a good athlete and has a commanding presence on the court."
Teuma's talents have been recognized by her home country, as well. She has worked out twice for the Cameroonian national team, but did not make the final roster cuts both times.
She was preparing for a work out a third time, but the country decided to cancel sending its women's team to a tournament.
"I would love to play for the team sometime," Teuma said, "but I would not say it's a goal of mine." Teuma does have a goal: to continue her tremendous charity work for the people back in Cameroon.
Last year, she approached her coach and asked if she could talk with him. "Usually when a player asks to talk to a coach, it means something bad has happened," Wilkes said. "But it wasn't. She asked if the team kept the equipment they had used the previous year. I told her they did and she asked if she could start a collection on the team. "She wanted to help those in need." Teuma had been saving money for two years to return to her home of Cameroon over the summer. She also wanted to do something for the basketball players living there.
wanted to move to Orlando, Florida, you would have to travel more than 6,100 miles,
learn how to speak English, and adapt to an entirely new culture. Luckily for Ines Teuma, a forward on the Rollins College women's basketball team, that transition seems to have been fairly easy.
She left her home country of Cameroon at the age of 18. Four years later, Teuma is faring well in the pre-med program and starting for the Tars.
Her brother, who recently graduated with a Ph.D. in Biomechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida, has been a huge part of her transition to living in the
United States.
"Because of my brother, it wasn't that hard" to adjust to life in the United States, Teuma
said. "He's helped me a lot, especially with how to handle things here and what to do."
Last year, her first at Rollins, she finished fifth on the team in points per game with 5.3 and fourth in rebounds per
game with 4.8. After losing the top two players from last season in both of those categories, her contributions will become even more important.
"She's probably as strong a player as I've ever had," women's head basketball coach Glenn Wilkes Jr. said. "She's a good athlete and has a commanding presence on the court."
Teuma's talents have been recognized by her home country, as well. She has worked out twice for the Cameroonian national team, but did not make the final roster cuts both times.
She was preparing for a work out a third time, but the country decided to cancel sending its women's team to a tournament.
"I would love to play for the team sometime," Teuma said, "but I would not say it's a goal of mine." Teuma does have a goal: to continue her tremendous charity work for the people back in Cameroon.
Last year, she approached her coach and asked if she could talk with him. "Usually when a player asks to talk to a coach, it means something bad has happened," Wilkes said. "But it wasn't. She asked if the team kept the equipment they had used the previous year. I told her they did and she asked if she could start a collection on the team. "She wanted to help those in need." Teuma had been saving money for two years to return to her home of Cameroon over the summer. She also wanted to do something for the basketball players living there.
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