OWU Student Athletes go International!

Many students participate in international activities during their time at Ohio Wesleyan

University. An experience that is different from the rest is having the ability to represent

your heritage roots and OWU on the athletic world stage.

Sophomore student-athlete Luca DiCarlo had the opportunity to represent Team Mexico in the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship. The event took place in Jeju Island, South Korea, from August 15 to August 24.

DiCarlo said, “Having the opportunity to represent my Mexican heritage along with one of my long-time lacrosse mentors, Mike Cervantes, who also played for Team Mexico is

what made me initially want to have this experience.”

Competing in this event first became interesting to DiCarlo during the Spring of 2024,

his senior year of high school. When it came time to travel to South Korea, it felt surreal

to him.

“When we first got to South Korea, it was very weird being in an environment I had

never been to before. The locals were extremely welcoming, but you could tell they

were not thrilled with the amount of tourists that had come to their island for this event.”

Being asked about his experience in South Korea and what valuable lessons he took

away from his trip while competing for team Mexico made DiCarlo reflect even more on

his time in South Korea.

“Even though we lost a close game, my favorite memory from the trip was playing

against England because that's when we felt the most pride for the name across our chest and to feel fulfilled that we traveled across the world to represent Mexico.”

Connor Lasch, DiCarlo’s teammate at OWU, said it was fun watching people represent

their cultures.

“It was awesome to be able to watch multiple people that I know represent their roots in

this event. Hearing all the stories from my friends about their experiences in South

Korea makes me want to travel there and experience it for myself. ”

Lasch knew people on team Mexico, U.S.A., and Canada. They all had different

experiences doing different activities, but were positive on the whole, which is what

makes him want to see that area of the world.

When comparing South Korea to the United States, the largest differences in DiCarlo’s

mind was how efficiently everything operated, along with the convenience store culture,

especially 7-Eleven’s clear dominance in that market.

“It was a very eye-opening experience. I saw some elements of South Korea that I did

not expect to see, such as dog meat factories and very rough areas that I did not

anticipate seeing. I also gained a new appreciation for my fluency in English because of

how powerful of a language it can be in foreign countries.”

After his trip to South Korea, DiCarlo urges everyone to travel as much as possible all

over the world, regardless of whether it is affiliated with OWU or not.

“Experiencing the world is one of the most valuable things you can do in your young life.

It gives you an enlarged appreciation for the world and everyone from all walks of life.”