Our story
The move is just the beginning.
First Year America was founded by Dennis Rocha, a Canadian student-athlete at Southeastern University in Florida.
Coming to the United States meant a real opportunity — to compete and to study. It also meant learning an unfamiliar system, usually one question at a time, often with no obvious person to ask.
Along the way, Dennis has personally been through:
- Starting at a junior college far from home
- Transferring schools and starting over
- Banking and document confusion
- Vehicle problems with no one nearby to call
- Injuries away from family
- Planning family visits
- The daily work of building a routine
Schools have important roles to play. But students and families still face practical questions that fall between offices and responsibilities. First Year America was created to sit in that gap: to organize, coordinate, and make sure students know the right person to ask.
We're starting with international student-athletes because that's the experience we know best. Our purpose is broader: every international student deserves a stable life around their opportunity.
Where we are today
First Year America is preparing for its first pilot. We're not claiming partnerships, customer numbers or testimonials we don't have yet — we'd rather earn them.
Start with a plan you can actually follow.
Answer a few questions and see your personalized America Care Plan, organized by timeline, in about ten minutes.