Hello friends and family! My name is Alana Moesch and I’m a senior Brazilian international volleyball athlete at Missouri Southern. I moved to the United States in 2021 and played for Missouri State West Plains before coming to Southern. After the most exciting and challenging five years of my life, my collegiate volleyball career is finally coming to an end. If you have some time to read, I would love to share my volleyball story:

Since I was 13, I knew that my passion for volleyball would take me far in life. But I never could have dreamed that it would take me to the United States. As I’ve built my life here, found my fiancé, my best friends, and made so many unforgettable memories, I have become exponentially more grateful for my parents. My success here in the U.S. can only be credited to their hard work, as they encouraged me to push past my limitations and follow my dreams. My dad even sold his motorcycle to fund my journey to the United States, and since then, I’ve worked several on-campus jobs to fund a living for myself.

When I was only 15 years old, I was offered a scholarship in a different state in Brazil to pursue my dream of playing high-level volleyball. It wasn’t easy to move away from my parents, but I knew—and still know—that their love is unconditional, and can cross any distance, no matter how far. But with this distance, my parents haven’t been able to watch me play live since 2018.

I can’t thank my parents enough for their support, and that’s why I want to repay them with one final chance to watch me play volleyball—the sport that has given me everything. Unfortunately, that means two plane tickets that are out of my budget. If you could help, even just a small amount, it would bring me one step closer to having my parents in Joplin to witness the closing of such a meaningful chapter in my life.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Your support means more to me than words can explain.