STATE COLLEGE, Pa.- When the fall semester of 2020 began, the COVID-19 guidelines put in place at colleges during the pandemic created a myriad of situations around the nation. From the drastic changes to the 'normal' routine for college students to isolation and the rise of virtual classes, adaptation became necessary.
Despite these restrictions, one Penn State field hockey player, who was watching from across the world, wanted nothing more than to be back in Happy Valley.
Junior forward Jemma Punch, 21, of Brisbane Australia, had a much different pandemic experience than her teammates in the states, but it still came with its own set of obstacles. "They went through like something that I would never be able to relate to, we didn't have a really high number of cases [in Australia]," Jemma recalled.
The third-year field hockey player spent the summer pre-season and fall semester of 2020 back in her hometown of Queensland, Australia, after learning of the turn to virtual learning.
"I was in Mexico on spring break when I found out we were not coming back for the rest of the semester," Jemma stated.
For students who are from the United States, the situation was full of unknowns. For international students, there was an added layer of confusion: When can I get back to Happy Valley or, if they were still here, when can I see my family again.
Fortunately, Jemma was able to stay with a former teammate of hers in Virginia Beach for the duration of the spring semester. This served as a kind gesture for her parents who were trying to figure out how to get their daughter home, a world away, in the middle of a pandemic.
"I was looking for flights every day," said Jemma's mother, Kerri-Ann Punch, 50, of Brisbane Australia. "An Australian government flight became available from Los Angeles to Brisbane, and we thought if Jemma didn't get on this flight, there was a huge chance that we may not get her home at all."
This was, obviously, not what Jemma had in mind when picturing her collegiate field hockey career. In Australia, sport and education are not combined in college like in America. The option of studying and playing field hockey was an exciting new opportunity for a younger Jemma when she committed to coming to Penn State.
"It was very appealing to me that the States did combine the two because it was like two for one, I get an education plus, I get to play the sport that I love," said Jemma. "I would also be invested in a full program and be practicing every day."
Her excitement was multiplied when she arrived on campus for the first time and was introduced to her new teammates. "My whole class and team were very welcoming, it was very easy for me to make that change from Australia to America," she said. "Even though my teammates were in the same country, they were also moving away from their homes."
It was this bond with the team that made staying home so hard when the pandemic broke. While her teammates would go home for a few days, this was not an option for Punch. Her connections to her team became home for her. When referring her relationship with the team Jemma stated, "It's not just a school that we're here studying at, my team is my family."
So, when the Australian borders began to close and the team got called back in for summer 2020, the difficult decisions just didn't seem to end for Jemma and her parents.
"This time was really tough for me because I had such hard decisions to make," Jemma recalled. "My parents said that they would back me on whatever decision I made, but in all honesty, I just wanted them to make it for me."
This was a decision that could have a tremendous impact her career as a player, a student and her time at Penn State, something she had worked so hard for. "To see Jemma on the other side of the world playing hockey and the whole experience that goes along with it is mind blowing. There is nothing like it in Australia," Jemma's mother commented.
On one side, there was the team and sport she loved so much that she travelled to the other side of the world, but with the pandemic, there was no guarantee of a full season and the very real danger of not being able to get home. When the spring semester ended, Jemma and her family decided she would stay in Australia. When the fall season was pushed back and then cancelled, the athlete was faced with the same predicament again at the end of the summer. Again, she had to make the heartbreaking decision to stay in Australia, three days later, she learned that the season was cancelled.
Jemma, fortunately, was reunited with her team in spring 2021 when the Big Ten and the NCAA gave a spring season the green light. Since that time, all of 2021 has been like one extended field hockey season.
"This is probably the best team dynamic that we've ever, ever had in the two years that I've been here," Jemma stated. "Everyone's more concentrated on what they need to do as a person, individually, and how that will contribute to the team."
Despite the hardships she has gone through to get where she is today, the opportunities and experiences that she has had over the last few years as a Nittany lion are something she would not change for the world. The one lesson she takes from all this, and one she would pass on to younger international athletes, is do not let the fear of unknown and unseen obstacles turn them away from taking a similar path as hers.
"It's not a common story that people are able to share," said Jemma. "Do not give up on that dream, follow through with it. If you're thinking of coming to Penn State, do it. Come over here to study and be an athlete, do both, because it's the experience of a lifetime."
