Luto to the Lakers

July 16, 2018 — Cape Town, South Africa

In 2016, Luto Tom went on the first University of Ubuntu trip to the United States. That is when he knew he wanted to play college soccer. 

“My trip to the college ID camps was the changing point; it changed my whole perspective about college,” Luto said.

At 18, Luto received an offer to go to boarding school in the US, with hopes of this opportunity providing a launching pad for university. The boarding school gave three scholarships to students, and Luto was the fourth. His SAT score was on the bubble, so he rewrote the test hoping for a higher score and another chance.

Back in Cape Town, Luto completed his matric (high school diploma) at Silvermine Academy, all the while applying to universities in the US with high hopes of a soccer scholarship. Luto began the enrollment process. Applications, eligibility, scholarships. Three schools later, Luto signed his official Letter of Intent and received a full scholarship, only to receive an email a few minutes later that the funding had been overspent, and the scholarship Luto hoped for was no longer available. Get knocked down, get back up. 

Just a few weeks after this disappoint, Iowa Lakes reached out to Luto, and he began the process once more. After signing yet another Letter of Intent to Iowa Lakes, Luto learned he would need to write the TOEFL exam to become eligible; his SAT score would not suffice. (TOEFL = standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities)  With less than a week to register, prepare, and write the exam, Luto approached this challenge with positivity and confidence, knowing that if this test didn’t go well, his dreams of attending university might fall away, at least for the Fall of 2018. 

A few weeks later, Luto received the news that he passed the exam. On Friday, he picked up his student visa. At the beginning of August, he will travel to Spencer, Iowa, where he will begin his freshman year. Luto, your story of drive and determination is inspiring. We are so excited for your college career!