Despite being thousands of miles from her home of Oaxaca, Mexico, Louisiana Tech sophomore tennis player Andrea Perez-Lopez can pull out a handful of baking supplies, start mixing and matching ingredients and experience a little taste of home in Ruston, Louisiana.
 
While Andrea's passion for tennis began at an early age, it is a different hobby that consumes her spare time when she's not on the court or in the classroom.
 
"I want to have my own business," said Perez-Lopez, who is majoring in business administration at Tech. "I want to create my own company back home in Mexico and what I really would love to do is open a bakery because that is what I really enjoy doing. My specialty is probably chocolate cake, which is actually is a family recipe that has been passed down."
 
Away from the kitchen, it seems Andrea was destined to become a tennis player as she was practically born with a racket in her hand thanks in part to her grandparents' love for the game.
 
"My whole family plays tennis," said Andrea, who earned a spot on the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and the even more prestigious C-USA Academic Medalist list last year. "My grandma was a national champion in Mexico. My grandpa is 83 years old and he still plays every weekend. We are a really passionate family when it comes to tennis. It was almost a requirement that we all had to play tennis when we were growing up. We always went to the club on the weekends. My dad used to be our coach. He would just give me and my sister a racket and just start hitting us balls and we loved that."
 
Andrea's sister, Ana, who also excels as a collegiate tennis player at Southern Methodist University, is partly credited with convincing the sophomore to move to the United States and pursue her tennis dreams, which led her to Louisiana Tech.
 
After high school, Andrea spent the first year back home in Mexico before her sister persuaded her to experience something new, which turned out to lead her to Louisiana Tech's campus.
 
"She was pushing me because she knew that this would be a really good experience that not everybody has," Andrea said. "She wanted me to take advantage of this opportunity and now she is one of the main reasons why I am here, not only at Louisiana Tech, but in the United States."
 
In 2017, Andrea moved from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Ruston, without so much as an on-campus visit prior to prepare her for what the college town had in store for her. The only thing she was certain of was the tennis.
 
"I came here without taking a visit," Andrea said. "I had no idea where I was coming. I looked up a lot online and everything, but it wasn't the same. I didn't know what to expect, honestly. It was hard at first. I had been in the United States a lot of times before coming here, but it was really kind of shocking because it is a different culture here [in Louisiana]. My English has been improving, but the first year I couldn't speak it very well. It was kind of hard to get used to it, but the people here in Ruston and at Louisiana Tech are so nice and were really helpful with everything."
 
Now in her sophomore year at Louisiana Tech, Andrea has adjusted to a new way of life in Ruston, which includes frequent visits to Social Bites to satisfy her sweet tooth
"I like to try new things. The other day I had the red velvet cupcake and I really liked it. I also like the salads. Their dressings are really, really good."
 
Whether Andrea is spending time on the tennis court or in the kitchen, it is a guarantee she will be causing a racket.