Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFreshman from Malaysia quickly acclimates to Syracuse
By Scott Lieber
Posted: 4/17/03, 12:18 AM EST Section: Sports
"I didn't realize I spent a lot of time on tennis because I just enjoy it," Leong said. "Now, looking back, people thought I was crazy. I can see why."
Countless e-mails, the first of which came years ago, is how Syracuse and Leong first met. Leong contacted SU head coach Mac Gifford so long ago, Gifford can't even remember when it happened.
It must have been before her senior year. That much Gifford remembers. NCAA rules prohibited him from contacting her so early. So he let Leong continue writing, but he waited to respond until she became a senior.
Leong wanted to go to Syracuse. Her parents, Boon-Kwang and Kim-Ying, wanted her to go to Syracuse. They wanted her in SU's School of Management. And, as Gifford put it, "In Malaysian culture, the father is the final word."
So off she went. Out of the year-round 90-degree temperatures into Syracuse’s blistering cold. The welcome was warm, at least. Her brother, who attends the University at Buffalo, drove to meet her and Gifford at the airport.
"My older brother actually made it really easy," Leong said. "I didn't know what to expect coming to a new country. But I spent my first night here in Syracuse with my older brother, because it was a weekend for him."
Leong felt fine those first few days. She never cried. She missed the food, though. Sandwiches, subs, hamburgers and pasta surrounded her. So she ordered out Chinese a lot.
"You just don't have too much to choose from," she said. "I used to live to eat. Now I eat to live."
Hundreds of calls were exchanged during Leong's senior year. The most important calls came from former SU player Shareen Lai.
Like Leong, Lai is Malaysian. Her grandparents live in the same village, Ipoh, as Leong. The two occasionally played when Lai returned to see her family. Never competitive matches, though. After all, Lai is six years older than Leong.
Lai pitched SU to Leong. Good coach. Good atmosphere. A chance to play for a Division I team. And, most important, a solid academic environment. That ultimately made the difference. Leong considered other schools, but SU offered the best education.
Countless e-mails, the first of which came years ago, is how Syracuse and Leong first met. Leong contacted SU head coach Mac Gifford so long ago, Gifford can't even remember when it happened.
It must have been before her senior year. That much Gifford remembers. NCAA rules prohibited him from contacting her so early. So he let Leong continue writing, but he waited to respond until she became a senior.
Leong wanted to go to Syracuse. Her parents, Boon-Kwang and Kim-Ying, wanted her to go to Syracuse. They wanted her in SU's School of Management. And, as Gifford put it, "In Malaysian culture, the father is the final word."
So off she went. Out of the year-round 90-degree temperatures into Syracuse’s blistering cold. The welcome was warm, at least. Her brother, who attends the University at Buffalo, drove to meet her and Gifford at the airport.
"My older brother actually made it really easy," Leong said. "I didn't know what to expect coming to a new country. But I spent my first night here in Syracuse with my older brother, because it was a weekend for him."
Leong felt fine those first few days. She never cried. She missed the food, though. Sandwiches, subs, hamburgers and pasta surrounded her. So she ordered out Chinese a lot.
"You just don't have too much to choose from," she said. "I used to live to eat. Now I eat to live."
Hundreds of calls were exchanged during Leong's senior year. The most important calls came from former SU player Shareen Lai.
Like Leong, Lai is Malaysian. Her grandparents live in the same village, Ipoh, as Leong. The two occasionally played when Lai returned to see her family. Never competitive matches, though. After all, Lai is six years older than Leong.
Lai pitched SU to Leong. Good coach. Good atmosphere. A chance to play for a Division I team. And, most important, a solid academic environment. That ultimately made the difference. Leong considered other schools, but SU offered the best education.
