SALISBURY, Md. – This is "Nest to Nest," a regular series spotlighting the big miles and bigger stories of the Sea Gull student-athletes on each team who traveled the farthest to be at Salisbury University. This week,
Gibelle Beaujon of SU women's tennis takes our series overseas for the first time, dropping a line on the jewel of the southern Caribbean Sea.
Gibelle Beaujon | Jr., Women's Tennis
Hometown:
Willemstad, Curacao
Population:
136,660
Distance from Salisbury:
1,860 miles
Travel Time:
7 hours, 5 minutes
What would you say your hometown is known for?
There's a lot of things Curacao and Willemstad are known for. One of the main things is the really good weather and beaches. They're so pretty – the sand is white, and the water is so clear. The other thing I would say is the town itself is so colorful. It's so different from any other city I've been to.
What's your favorite hometown hangout spot?
I would definitely say the beach – that's one of the easiest ones to hang out at because it's so nice, and I feel lucky to be able to go there. There's another place called Kura Hulanda Village, it's in a section very close to the city and there's a bunch of restaurants and places you can shop, and that's also another place where we have a bunch of colorful buildings.
Which local sports teams do you root for?
Baseball is big in Curacao; we almost always sends a team to Williamsport for the Little League World Series, and they even won it all in 2004.
(Author's note: in addition to a strong Little League presence, former MLB star and friend of the Beaujon family Andruw Jones will become the first person from Curacao inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.)
How did you hear about Salisbury University?
I actually went to an academy in Florida that does a lot with recruiting. That actually helped my brother [men's tennis alumnus
Gianluca Beaujon] come to Salisbury University; I heard a lot of great things from him, and that's how I came to be at Salisbury.
What's the biggest difference between life in your hometown and life here in Salisbury?
A big one is the weather. These past few weeks it's been, what, 20 degrees outside? And back home it was something like 85 degrees every day. The culture is really different too, but I would say I love both places.
What's something you can turn to that reminds you of your hometown on the days when you miss it?
A lot of times I'll make some traditional foods from home – that's one thing that I really feels like connects me there. I'm also very lucky that my brother goes here as well; he's still at SU working on his master's right now, so it's easy to connect with him when I'm feeling homesick.
How would you sell someone on visiting your hometown?
Honestly, I think you would absolutely love it. If you want a tropical paradise, Curacao is the place to be. We have amazing beaches, we have such nice culture, the people are so nice, and it's such a different experience from anywhere else you go. The food is amazing, we have such international cuisine. So, again, tropical paradise? Curacao is the place to be.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 206 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
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