This year's men's soccer graduating class is unique in that all six of them hail from a different country, making them one of the most diversified groups graduating from Georgia State as well as any school in the NCAA.
Coach Kerem Daser, himself a native of Turkey, recruits internationally and blends the players into a family on and off the soccer field. Assistant coach Brett Surrency is a Florida native and graduate of Georgia State's master's program in Sports Administration.
The graduating class represents the countries of Brazil, Chile, Germany, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States.
Goalkeeper Filipe Carvalho, a first-team all-CAA player, will graduate as a Dean's List student in finance (3.7 cumulative GPA). He also earned a Peach of an Athlete award for his community service.
Francesco Barera was a defender on the soccer team and a Dean's List student who earned a journalism degree (3.49 four-year GPA). He is off to New York City next week to begin work with Major League Soccer at the headquarters in Manhattan.
Tobias Nagy concluded his career as a defender and earned the athletic department highest grade point average award with his 3.8 career average in finance. An Academic All-District honoree , Nagy also received a Panther Character Award for his contributions. He'll return to Germany to decide the next steps in his career, that might include graduate school.
Eduardo Liza was a star midfielder and is a native of Lima, Peru. He started two years for Georgia State after transferring from Georgia Perimeter College. He graduates with a 3.25 in sociology.
Javon Carrington is from the island of Tobago, the smaller of the two islands of Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean. He earned his degree in public policy from the prestigious Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and a 3.49 GPA.
Justin Davis played four years for the Panthers, following his older brother's footsteps (Jordan) at Georgia State. Justin completed his studies in sociology. Justin is an Atlanta native who played at Starr's Mill High School in Peachtree City.
The diversity of the team also included a goalkeeper coach, Gaucho Pinho, from Brazil and an assistant coach, Arturo Norambuena, who is a native of Chile.
