Story and photos developed by University Communications.

S tudent-athlete Jesus Villamizar Abia of Valencia, Venezuela, took in the full Georgia College & State University experience by learning transferrable skills that will better equip him in life and well into his career.

“GCSU taught me that no matter how overwhelmed you feel somedays, you can always smile, be the best version of yourself and do a great job in anything you do,” Villamizar Abia said.

He’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business in May 2023.

Villamizar Abia’s applying for marketing jobs in the greater Atlanta area and would like to become a marketing executive or marketing coordinator/manager. 

“I enjoy creating strategies for marketing campaigns and seeing how people react to the campaigns and marketing plans I create,” he said. 

Ultimately, Villamizar Abia plans to create his own businesses, including a coffee shop and a tennis/fitness center. 

“I would also love to help my mom build her own restaurant, because it is one of her dreams,” he said.

His inspiration comes from helping people, especially those he loves. 

“My family showed me to always be humble and give 100% in anything I do,” Villamizar Abia said. “My brother, Juan, is my idol. I’ve gained so much inspiration from him. He showed me that no matter what you are going through, you’ll start feeling better every day. This is more than just a sentence; it’s a culture. It’s become my way of living.”

Villamizar Abia came to Georgia College his sophomore year on a tennis scholarship, an international scholarship and with J. Whitney Bunting College of Business academic scholarships.

He chose Georgia College to be closer to his brother, who lives in Florida. He also enjoyed his conversations with Assistant Athletic Director and Head Tennis Coach Steve Barsby. In addition, he was impressed with GCSU’s website and videos. 

“I saw that I could have more interaction with the professors, and that was important to me,” Villamizar Abia said. “Because of this, I’ve created strong relationships with people, which is hard to do when you are far from your home country. My tennis teammates, professors and friends have been incredibly nice. I’ve felt welcomed since my first day here.”

He belonged to the International Club (his favorite) and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. These organizations helped him grow his leadership and communication skills.

“Working with groups of people with different backgrounds and points of view helped me open my mind and start seeing things and situations from different perspectives,” Villamizar Abia said.

He feels the staff at the International Education Center has been extremely helpful since his first day at Georgia College. 

“Susie Ramage, who I refer to as a mom from the United States, helped me so much throughout my GCSU career,” Villamizar Abia said. “When I got Covid-19 in 2020, she asked how I was feeling every day and provided me with meals and groceries so I could survive those weeks—she’s the best!” 

“Jason Wynn also helped me incredibly with all the legal processes with my Visa status,” Villamizar Abia said. “He made sure that everything worked out fine.” 

Another person he wants to highlight is Isabella Echeverria, ’20, who was president of the International Club during his first year at Georgia College. 

“She made this place feel like home,” Villamizar Abia said. “Isabella became my best friend and was like a sister to me, who was always there in the good and bad moments.” 

Lecturer of Business Law/Ethics Dean Copelan, J.D., also made an impression on Villamizar Abia. Copelan explained class content well and helped the student-athlete catch up on assignments. 

“He often asked me how the tennis seasons were going,” Villamizar Abia said. “I felt he wanted to see me succeed in school and tennis.”

Being on the Georgia College Tennis Team, practicing Monday through Saturday with up to three matches a week, taught Villamizar Abia how to manage his time with schoolwork and tennis. 

“Since I play intense matches and do intense trainings, I always try to have everything done before hand, so I can rest after playing tennis,” he said. “This helped me to be more effective and efficient when preparing for tests, presentations and homework. Sometimes I even did my schoolwork on the bus when traveling for matches.”

Prior to playing tennis at GCSU, Villamizar Abia thought that tennis was an individual and lonely sport. But he learned the value of teamwork from his teammates. They pushed and supported him to become a better tennis player every day. 

“They’ve become family to me, and I feel they have my back,” he said. “I love that I don't play for myself anymore, now I play for my teammates and an entire community.”