Viktor Bezhani plays center-midfielder on BYU–Hawaii's soccer team and is less than a handful of students at the school from Albania, located in Southeast Europe between Greece and the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 3.6 million. "It's too far, it's on the other side of the globe," he said.
Bezhani moved to Greece when he was seven, then attended school at Utah Valley State University for two years. He came here to play soccer and get a good education with a major in International Business Management. BYU–Hawaii offers scholarships for soccer, and that is what brought him to Hawaii. Provo offers soccer but not soccer scholarships because of Title 9. "I already knew two or three players who played on the team so I contacted them first and then I contacted the coach, and it went from there," he said. "For me, I cared about getting a scholarship for soccer and going to a good institution, and BYU–Hawaii has both of those things," he said.
Bezhani has been playing soccer since he was a child and grew up playing it in Greece. He said he loves everything about the sport, and, at times has found himself loving soccer more than school. Attending BYU–Hawaii while being a member of another faith has been a positive experience for Bezhani. "I just go to school that is dominated by a religious group. I don’t feel any pressure," he said. "I don’t have a religious preference. There are times that I feel that there is a higher power.” He attributes his accomplishments to his hard work and the love and support of his family. "I couldn't have done this by myself. I owe it to my very supportive parents and my older brother. I also want to thank my Uncle Elton who lives in Utah. He is a member [of the LDS Church] and he has helped me a lot," he said. "I am proud of coming a long way, coming as a little kid to from Albania to Greece and now to the United States to study."
--Photo courtesy of byuhsports