By Delaney Granberry
UTA Public Relations Student

ARLINGTON, Texas - Moving to a new town for a college student is hard: struggles with homesickness, adjusting diets to ramen noodles and rice and realizing parents aren't there every day to ensure success. Moving to an entirely new country for college is arguably twenty times as difficult. Family is a country away, and as supportive as they may be, there is still a gap. Attending college in a new country takes a special type of person -- UTA junior Greta Kairyte is that special.

Originally from Lithuania, Kairyte came to Texas as a freshman player for the Lady Coyotes at Weatherford College. Kairyte knew a few other Lithuanian players in the area, but the jump to Weatherford -- 30 miles west of Fort Worth -- was challenging. She quickly became close friends with Severija Narkute, another player from Lithuania. Narkute was credited with talking Kairyte into coming to Weatherford. The two found comfort in their native language and culture together, from listening to Lithuanian music to speaking their native tongue on the basketball court. Deciding to come to UTA, however, meant that Narkute and Kairyte would be separated. Kairyte decided to leave Weatherford to come to Arlington.

Kairyte spoke very little English, and found it to be her biggest barrier in transitioning countries. After uprooting herself almost 9,000 miles (8,774 to be exact) to the United States, what she once considered to be seemingly impossible is now less and less of a burden, thanks in part to her team and to her host family.

A police officer at Weatherford College and his family, who she became close with during her time in Weatherford, welcomed Kairyte into their home, and continue to provide her with a place to visit and feel at home while the University is on break. Kairyte is grateful, even more so that she doesn't have to be on campus when all of her team and friends return home for the break.

While Weatherford and Arlington are very different, Kairyte seems to enjoy Texas in general. "The weather's great, and the people are nicer," she laughs.

During her time at Weatherford College, Kairyte averaged 9.7 points per game, and started 25 out of 26 games. She also averaged 8.8 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists during her sophomore year. She was also received honorable mention for the NJCAA Region V for the league's all-conference list. Outside of college, Kairyte played for the 2014 Under 20 Lithuania National Team while attending Palangos Senoji Gimnazija.

For Kairyte, basketball runs in the family. Her brother, Evaldas Kairyte, is a professional basketball player in Turkey. She is not planning on following on his footsteps, and instead is pursuing a career in Criminal Justice in order to become an agent for the FBI one day. Although being a basketball coach did cross her mind, she has decided to follow her dreams to being a law enforcement officer.

Although she had a stellar season as a Lady Coyote, both the town and her friendship brought her to UTA. Her connection with former Lady Mavs player Toma Zaleckaite (who is also from Lithuania and a former Lady Coyote herself ) brought her to UTA's campus. From attending games and visiting the locker room to just walking around campus, Kairyte decided that maybe Arlington was the next logical step in her college basketball career. Zaleckaite helped influence her decision to come to UTA. The two are best friends, and they still keep in close contact.

When asked about her first day on campus, Kairyte breathes a sigh of remembrance, thinking of how she was running around, trying to get things squared away for the semester. Her first day on campus was filled with things to do, from orientations to flu shots. It might have been overwhelming, but Kairyte likes the difference from quiet Weatherford where an outing was walking to Wal-Mart.

While there may be more to do in the DFW area, the 6-foot-3 forward Kairyte does not let it distract her from the goal at hand: becoming the best women's basketball player she can be while here at UTA. She's still focusing on her first season at UTA, and that's apparent to head coach Krista Gerlich.

"Greta's great. She's got a lot of potential, and she's adjusting really well," Gerlich said.

As far as the team itself goes, Kairyte is ecstatic to be on a team where the other players are just as enthusiastic and passionate as she is. The Lady Mavs had an injury-filled season last year, and ended the season at 15-16. This year, with hopes raised high for the men's basketball team at UTA, the same enthusiasm bleeds over into the Lady Mavs' locker room.

"We all share the same goal, we all want to win," Kairyte said.

Her advice to any incoming international players is that while it is momentous to uproot your life and move to a new country at such a young age, it's a good challenge because of the people who surround you. Kairyte's teammates, although missing her friends Zaleckaite and Narkute, build her up and help her adjust to life not only in Texas, but also on campus.

"You're not alone, and you won't feel alone".