Breaking down barriers is a skill Linfield College's Marisa Kume has been mastering for as long as she can remember.
 
Pursuing an exercise science degree in her second language while consistently battling with top competitors despite her diminutive size, highlights her drive, determination, and work ethic.
 
Born and partially raised in Nagoya, Japan, the junior has, time and again, proven to be a crucial piece of the puzzle for the up-and-coming Linfield tennis program.
 
Boasting an impressive career singles record of 31-11, Kume is one of three upperclassmen on the squad. Along with teammates Courtney Mostul and Lauren Seki, she is considered a leader on the relatively young Northwest Conference team.
                                                                          
"We don't have a hierarchal relationship but we do try to lead the underclassmen," says Kume. "It's nice to have two other (juniors) so we can collaborate and plan team bonding activities."
 
Collaboration, whether with teammates, coaches, or professors, has been an essential part of the acclimation process for Kume. Coming to the United States at the age of 15 and attending Redding High School in California, learning new material in English was initially challenging for her to grasp. The rapidity of Kume's immersion into an unfamiliar culture and system of education made relationships difficult to develop and success hard to reach.
 
"I went through a lot of hardships with communication," Kume says. "Talking with people in English was difficult. When I first came here, I could understand English but not everything."
 
Linfield coach Lisa Macy-Baker applauds Kume's persistence and bravery.
 
"I admire the fact Marissa is going to school in her second language. College is challenging enough," she says. "She gives everything she's got on and off the court and at a very high standard. This most certainly makes her stand out."
 
Being a standout athlete does not solely apply to tennis for Kume. As a freshman on the 2013 women's cross country team, she twice finished among the top three on a team flush with senior talent.
 
Kume made the difficult decision to focus on tennis once the hardships of being a two-sport student-athlete became more prevalent.
 
"I have to make sure that I am on top of assignments and schoolwork. When you're playing sports, you have to study whenever you have free time," she says. "I love running but I want to focus on just one sport. I have more passion for playing tennis."
 
Attributing her success not just to talent, but more importantly, to a meticulous work ethic, Kume is the quintessential leader by example.
 
"I think I am a hard worker," she says. "I try to do my best in practice and matches, which helps others try harder. I don't like to give up anything so I usually try to give 120 percent."
 
"On the court, I know she's always going to fight and compete like a Wildcat," adds Macy-Baker. "She puts in extra time fine-tuning her game, sometimes to a point when we have to tell her to leave the court to get some rest. In such a tiny frame, she packs an enormous punch and is incredibly fast with an excellent first step."
 
The quick-footed, 4-foot-11 junior draws praise from her peers on a regular basis.
 
"She really is the definition of a hard worker," says teammate Sierra Lemon. "She hustles for every ball and works for every point, no matter the length of the rally. Seeing her work hard day in and day out makes Marisa an inspiration for the entire team."
 
As Kume navigated the roadblocks of language and stature, she simultaneously came to realize the positive implications they present in the context of her life.
 
"Overcoming obstacles has made me stronger. I've grown as a person and appreciate the opportunities I have been given in life that much more," she says.
 
With the tennis season fully underway and the spring semester reaching its stride, it is only a matter of time before we see Kume's hard work, on and off the court, pay off.