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Meg Kowalski packed the last few things into her bag and prepared to say goodbye.

Although she put up a good front, Kowalski was terrified inside. She didn't know if she was ready to leave home.

Meg Kowalski Is Committed To Georgia
© Zoo Tennis

Kowalski worried she would miss her family and friends in the Chicago area. She feared she wouldn't feel comfortable at the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, S.C.

Looking back two years later, Kowalski can only laugh at her misguided trepidation.

“It is so funny. I thought I would be homesick, but it's actually the other way around,” Kowalski said. “I go back to Chicago now and I want to get back to Smith Stearns. It's such a tight-knit group and really feels like a family environment. I love it so much.”

The same feeling is what helped Kowalski make her college decision. The blue chip recruit felt an instant connection to Georgia that went beyond just tennis.

“There were a bunch of factors, but the main one was the whole team just felt like a family,” Kowalski said. “That is one reason I am really thriving at Stearns. I really like that element and it's been really good for me, so I wanted to find a similar atmosphere in college.”