Name: Sanne Janssen
Born: 12 Aug, 2002
Sport: track & field (long distance)
University: Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU)
Placed: Fall 2024

With hard work and perseverance to America
Sanne Janssen comes from the Netherlands and is a long-distance runner with a huge drive to get better. After high school in 2020, she decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree to become an elementary school teacher. Although Sanne did not have much competition experience yet, her motivation to grow in track & field was incredibly strong. Her dream was to advance to a master’s program in America after her bachelor’s degree, where she could further develop her track & field career. In doing so, she had a desire to be able to put more time and focus on her sport and take advantage of the facilities and training opportunities America has to offer.

The challenges
Sanne faced several challenges. Her entry level in track & field was not particularly high, and she did not yet have much competitive experience. This made it more difficult to appeal to coaches. In addition, the process of going to the U.S. with a master’s degree was quite complex. There were many documents and requirements that had to be met, which made the situation extra complicated for Sanne.

Another sticking point was the coach’s initial scholarship offer. The coach at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) had offered an original scholarship, but it turned out that an administrative error had been made, making the scholarship much lower than originally agreed upon. This would make it difficult for Sanne to make the trip to the USA financially feasible.

Slamstox’s role
Slamstox played a vital role in Sanne’s journey. We made sure that all the necessary documents were submitted to the university on time so that Sanne was admitted to the master’s program without delay. We worked closely with her undergraduate program and arranged communication so that everything went smoothly.

In addition, an important part of the collaboration was resolving the mistake made in the scholarship offer. Thanks to our mediation with ENMU’s coach, the offer was corrected. We worked with Sanne and her parents to ensure that it became financially feasible to continue her adventure in the USA. This was a crucial moment in the process, leading Sanne to accept the offer after all.

In addition, we helped Sanne make the right study choice, taking her academic and athletic goals into account.

The result
Thanks to Slamstox’s efforts, Sanne not only received a higher scholarship than she initially had, but the coaches at ENMU saw her potential and dared to invest in her. Sanne was given the opportunity to further develop her track & field career, while at the same time being able to pursue her master’s degree in America.

In addition, Sanne also arranged a job on the university campus through Slamstox. This job was important for her to make it financially feasible, as it was a prerequisite for her to supplement the scholarship with her own earned money.

Are you interested in college track & field in the U.S. just like Sanne? Schedule a free introduction!