International enrollment plummeted during the pandemic — new enrollments fell 72% in the U.S. in 2021, and instead of encouraging growth, issuance of international student visas has dropped 19% from 2024 to 2025. In the fall of 2025, Palomar has just 78 international students, down from more than 200 before COVID-19, according to the International Students department.
Yet the Palomar men’s soccer team is an outlier, growing from two international players in 2021 to six in 2025 — the most on any team in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC).
Just how has the men’s soccer program been able to maintain a steady influx of international student-athletes?
Head Coach David Linenberger has a recruiting process that focuses on local, national and international players. He works with a Germany-based agent who connects potential recruits with Palomar.
“These players are very motivated, and good students. I try to place them as well as our local players in four-year school programs,” Linenberger said. “I feel it is good to have a sprinkling of international flavor in the squad. It is a good cultural exchange for all of the guys.”
Their motives and backgrounds may differ, but these international players are enduring the same demands of earning an education, playing a sport and striving for something beyond Palomar College.
Felix Hamm
No. 10 | Forward | Germany
In his second year playing for Palomar College, Hamm established himself as a team captain. He has been playing since he was 6 in Germany, where soccer is king.
Hamm chose to study abroad, but wanting to keep his dreams of being involved in professional soccer alive, he enrolled at Palomar as a business administration major.
“The program looked very promising,” he said. “I can see myself working in the sports industry, for a club or company in the management area, in case the big dream to become a pro doesn’t come true.”
Hamm didn’t have a clear housing situation or know anyone when he arrived in 2024, but after making early connections with his teammates and others around campus, he has found success at Palomar on and off the field.
Artem Sydorenko
No. 18 | Midfielder | Ukraine
Sydorenko, computer science/programming major, came to Palomar with a goal to transfer to a University of California campus and continue playing high-level soccer while pursuing a degree. In the U.S. he can combine playing soccer and receiving education which is a rare concept in Ukraine.
“I want to graduate and pass all my classes successfully,” he said. “I want to finish the season strong and memorably. I want to win the championship and conference.”
Before enrolling at Palomar, Sydorenko played at Rancho Buena Vista High School (RBV) for two years, helping the team win the Avocado League championship in 2024.
Making quick friends on the RBV and Palomar squads helped him overcome his biggest challenges: learning English and mastering the “high-physical style” of American soccer.
Jakub Kozlowski
No. 9 | Forward | Poland
Born in Poland, Kozlowski began playing soccer at 6 years old, inspired by the sport itself and legends like Cristiano Ronaldo. But before coming to Palomar, Kozlowski spent most of his formative years playing in Germany like his teammates Felix Hamm and Jonatan Maelicke.
“In Germany, in the leagues I played it was more about tactics, possession and strength. Here it’s more technique,” he said. Apparently he adapted very well, because Kozlowski is the top goal scorer in the PCAC.
Coming to Palomar meant something more, however. It provided a means for him to pursue his criminal justice major while paving the way for transferring to a Division I university for soccer and a degree.
“I spoke with many colleges, but Palomar was the best one for me,” he said. “Weather, coach, my study program, and I always wanted to be in California.”
Rory Flanagan
No. 2 | Defender | Ireland
Flanagan is no stranger to the soccer field; he’s been playing since he was three in his home country of Ireland. The biggest challenge is being so far from home, but staying in contact with friends and family and developing a good routine keep him grounded.
Far away from Ireland’s heavy rains and small-town culture, he is still determined to achieve his goal of playing soccer and earning a degree in business administration at Palomar and beyond.
“I always dreamed of playing football in America and studying here,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get to go to a four-year college after a successful season.”
Jonatan Maelicke
No. 23 | Defender | Germany
Why did Maelicke come to Palomar? Well, that is quite simple: he wanted to get into the college soccer system and liked the schools in San Diego. What isn’t simple is the educational demands for a student studying abroad.
International students are required to take a full course load: 12 units per semester, with a minimum of nine in-person units. This is non-negotiable, whether the student plays a sport or not.
But playing soccer while majoring in business was something
Maelicke could not pass up. In Germany there are no organized sports within higher education systems, so the chance to study while playing the sport he loves is worth the struggle.
“Being able to manage school, soccer and housing all at once is hard,” he said. “I would advise incoming international student-athletes that you have to be productive to manage everything. Sleep is important and time management is key.”
Nikola Ilic
No. 19 | Forward | Serbia
Maybe the most interesting in the bunch, Ilic did not come to Palomar to play soccer. He came to get an accounting degree for a stable future career. At 37, he didn’t start playing soccer until he was 22, and only in an indoor format.
His true athletic passions are basketball and Serbian folk dancing, both of which he has competed in professionaly.
“It is all in dedication. As long as you are committed, you can accomplish anything,” he said.
Despite the difference in age and experience in outdoor soccer, Ilic has bonded well with Palomar’s young squad.
“The best memory I had and am still having is playing with the rest of the team,” he said. “They are all good people — like younger brothers to me because I am almost twice their age — and they are trying really hard on the field to win the championship together.”