Taking a Big Leap for Volleyball: Farah Helmy's Journey from Egypt to ORU

Growing up in Cairo, Egypt, volleyball was a way of life for ORU's Farah Helmy. Farah, who began playing at six-years-old, was a member of the largest club team in Africa. She was also selected to Egypt's National Team, where she competed in Mexico at the U19 World Cup.

In international competition, Farah found immense success as an athlete, but she wanted to compete in college too. Specifically, she wanted to compete at the Division 1 level. For Farah, this meant taking a giant leap: leaving her home in Egypt and attending college in the United States.

"When I came to the United States," Farah said, "I'd never travelled by myself. I'd traveled with Egypt's National Team, but that was as a group. At the time, I think I gaslighted myself into thinking I wasn't scared because I was so excited for the opportunity. I left Egypt with one goal: to play at a Division 1 university. That's every athlete's dream, but only a small percentage get a chance to do it."

Remembering the "Student" in "Student-Athlete"

Initially, Farah played volleyball at a junior college in Texas. After her first year, she was offered a scholarship to play Division 1 volleyball at ORU. As an athlete, it was a great opportunity, but Farah says her decision to attend ORU wasn't just about athletics.

"I'm not just chasing volleyball," she said. "I also want to be challenged academically. Before I committed, I researched ORU's business department, and I learned that it's a demanding program. So I prayed about the decision, and with the support of my family, I accepted the offer to play at ORU."

Being from Egypt, Farah says she "gave up" her "whole continent" to pursue her dream at ORU. These words alone demonstrate the enormity of her decision. But that decision has turned into something life-changing. Cairo's still her home, but she's also found her home at ORU.

"I love this campus," she said. "I love the architecture and the size of the University. It's perfect for me. If I was somewhere else, I might not find the same quality of education and professors. Here, I have teachers like Professor [Victor] Bustinza. Like me, he's international … he's from Peru. His class had a big impact on me because it convinced me to pursue digital marketing. That decision led me to a summer internship with Socal Premier Marketing in California."

A Winning Family | A Winning Faith

According to Farah, attending ORU is about academics and winning. She's a competitor at heart. This year, Head Coach Nolan Albrecht took over ORU's Volleyball program, and Farah says the team has a focus on winning and winning now.

"When Coach Albrecht talks," Farah said, "he talks about winning. I'm here to win. I'm here to compete. We all have the skills to play this game, which means we can compete for a championship. We're thinking of nothing less, honestly. If you don't believe this … if you don't think we have championship talent … there might not be room for you on our team."

This team of fierce competitors, Farah calls them her "family." She says ORU Volleyball is filled with people who pick her up, hold her accountable, and support her. But her other family … her family in Cairo, Egypt … she hasn't seen them in two years. She says the distance-6,700 miles-can be difficult sometimes. Despite this, she reminds herself that without God, she wouldn't be at ORU.

"I flew thousands of miles to be here," Farah said, "but I didn't do it by myself. I wouldn't be here without God. When I asked myself 'Should I go to the United States?' I prayed about it, and God called me to be here. Throughout this whole journey, I've never been alone; God's always been by my side."

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 174 nations in the last 6 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.