Kinga Windisch
Name: Kinga Windisch
Hometown: Budapest, Hungary
Year in School: Sophomore
Major: Business Management
Moving to a different country 5,000 miles away is never easy, regardless of how much you are winning. Meet Kinga Windisch, a sophomore business management major from Budapest, Hungary. Recruited by head coach Jozsef Forman to join the Chanticleer volleyball team, she accepted an athletic scholarship and an opportunity of a lifetime.
When Kinga arrived in the United States, she looked around and noticed that Conway wasn’t exactly Budapest.
“It’s a beautiful city,” Kinga says of Hungary’s capital. “It’s a lot different than here. It has a lot of architecture, it has many buildings with a lot of history.”
Not that Conway doesn’t have a rich history or some noteworthy buildings lining the streets, but Kinga was transitioning from seemingly one world to another. However, for what the Grand Strand area lacked in infrastructure, it made up for in another important area.
“People are a lot different, they are friendlier here than back home.” Kinga explains, adding with a laugh, “It actually scared me in the beginning, everyone came up to me and hugged me, even if I didn’t know them.”
Kinga’s career as a student-athlete started off strong. She made an immediate impact in her 2016 freshman season, starting in 14 matches and helping the Chants win a conference title in the program’s inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference. This past season she delivered solid play once again, as the volleyball team claimed another conference championship.
Kinga’s presence in #TEALnation has done more than improve the volleyball team; it has improved herself. Although she was strong in a physical sense when she arrived in the States, Kinga credits Coastal with strengthening her resolve.
“I learned to take care of myself,” Kinga says about the impact Coastal has had on her. “I am a more independent person than I used to be.”
Taking the initiative to visit her professors during office hours, Kinga raves about the flexibility and kindness of the faculty. She says that the higher education system in the United States offers more chances for students to perform throughout a given semester as opposed to Hungary where a class usually depends solely on a midterm and final exam.
After Kinga concludes her final two years at the undergraduate level and hopefully plays on a couple more championship Chanticleer volleyball teams, she has big plans for her future. She wants to attend graduate school and earn her MBA. Also, if things work out right, volleyball will still be very much in the picture.
“I just started beach volleyball and I really enjoy it,” Kinga mentions. “I am thinking about doing it more seriously.”
Kinga, who is part of the CCU beach volleyball squad, would like to pursue a professional career in the sport after grad school. We thank this special student-athlete for taking the major leap and joining us at Coastal Carolina University. Make plans to watch Kinga on the court over the next two seasons and pull for her as she works toward her goals.
Q&A with Kinga
How did you hear about Coastal?: Jozsef Forman, the head volleyball coach, offered me a scholarship to play for Coastal.
Why did you come to Coastal?: I decided to attend Coastal to play volleyball and to study abroad.
Favorite professor: Cathy Focarazzo Riley
Favorite class: Management and Organizations
Favorite aspect of Coastal?: I enjoy being a student-athlete and being surrounded by great people.
Favorite aspect of living in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area?: Living close to the beach, the beautiful weather and the delicious restaurants.
Clubs/Intramurals/other extracurricular activities involved in?: In addition to the volleyball team, I am a German tutor at the Foreign Language Center.
Plans after graduation?: I would like to play volleyball professionally and earn my MBA.
What are your hobbies?: Beach volleyball!