Imagine traveling more than 2,775 miles, spending 12 hours on a plane and leaving family to follow your dreams. It is a risky move, but well worth it when it comes to football for one City College student.
Joemeko Culmer, 19, also known as Meko, was born in the Bahamas and made his way to the United States for his senior year of high school in 2008. He decided to start an adventure on his own, leaving his mom, dad and two sisters back home.
America is known as the land of opportunity; it promised him a better education, a job and freedom to make his way as an adult. Most importantly, he says, it gave him the opportunity to play football.
“I always wanted to be a linebacker,” says Meko, with a slight accent, which is what he became on the City College football team.
Weighing in at approximately 215 pounds, Meko has a lot of muscle and a lot of heart to offer the game. When he came here, it was the first time he had played football on a team. Only recently has football been played in the Bahamas.
“America’s more spacious, like bigger then home, but I don’t like how far everything is, all the driving,” says Meko. “They drive on the left side of the road in the Bahamas, so that was weird.”
It took some time, but after living here for about two years with his aunt and uncle, Meko says he feels comfortable.
“Meko is the happiest person on earth and really quiet as a teammate,” says Stephen Jaeger, a fellow football teammate.
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When Meko first arrived in the U.S., he attended Capital Christian High School. While there, Meko was on the football and baseball teams, but his true dedication was always football. He hopes one day to make a career of it.
“I remember I was the first person to show him around school when he first go t here,” says Darren Pulley, a high school football teammate. “He was kind of shy, but even that first day I met him he told me he couldn’t wait to play football.”
Though his cultural transition has been fairly smooth and he enjoys living in the U.S., he often misses things about home. He says he misses family, friends, the beach, and his favorite food indul- gences: conch snack or conch and fries. Conch is an ocean shellfish commonly eaten in the Bahamas.
“When it gets hot, it reminds me of home,” he says. “I think there are pros and cons to living in both places, though.”
Meko says people are more open in America compared to the Bahamas. He also finds it humorous how often people here say “like” and “hecka.”
Whether he is in the U.S. or the Bahamas, Meko has pleased many with his quiet, uplifting personality.
“He is just this big teddy bear, fun to be around and really well-rounded,” says Kari Tall-Domingos, a close friend.
Meko says he lives by his own motto: “My standards are higher than your expectations.”
