Building a Home an Ocean Away

Leaving home at 18 to move across the world is daunting for anyone, but for UC San Diego fencer Zehra Anbarlilar, it became an opportunity to build a life far beyond the sport she had spent years mastering.

Coming from Turkey with no campus visits, no local support system, and only a dream of balancing academics with athletics, Anbarlilar arrived in La Jolla determined to make the most of every opportunity before her. What began as a leap of faith has since turned into a story of leadership, resilience, and growth that extends far beyond the fencing strip.

Now entering her senior year, Anbarlilar has established herself as a leader within Triton Athletics, serving as a mentor to international scholar-athletes while becoming the first Turkish female foil fencer to compete in NCAA Division I.

Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Anbarlilar spent the first 18 years of her life there before moving to California to attend college. While competing for the Turkish National Team, she had already established herself internationally, helping Turkey earn a silver medal at the European Championships. But as her love for fencing grew, so did her desire to continue challenging herself both academically and athletically.

“At first, there was no plan to come to the U.S.,” she said. “I was just going to continue competing for the National Team in Turkey. Then I realized there was an opportunity for me to pursue both a strong academic and athletic career.”

After researching universities that combined strong academics with competitive fencing opportunities, UC San Diego quickly stood out. Although she had never visited campus before committing, the university checked every box she was looking for: academic opportunities, a welcoming environment, competitive fencing, and Southern California’s lifestyle. 

“When UCSD reached out to me, I thought, ‘This is where I want to spend my college career,’” she said.

A Sport That Shaped Her

Anbarlilar’s introduction to fencing came unexpectedly at just eight years old. Encouraged by a physical education teacher who saw potential in her height and athleticism, she decided to give the sport a try after struggling to connect with traditional team sports.

The decision changed her life.

By age 10, she was competing nationally, and just a few years later, she began traveling across Europe for international competitions. Those early experiences forced her to mature quickly, teaching her independence, adaptability, and confidence long before she moved thousands of miles away from home.

“Our coach had a very strict no-parents policy during travel,” she said. “From a young age, we were treated like athletes and taught independence.”

That mindset stayed with her when she moved across the world to attend UC San Diego. Even while adjusting to a new country and culture, the resilience and confidence she built through fencing helped ease the transition.

“I felt like if I could navigate traveling around Europe at that age, I could adapt to coming here,” she said.

Although she arrived in La Jolla knowing very few people, Anbarlilar quickly found a sense of belonging within the fencing program and the larger Triton community.

“The fencing world is smaller than people think,” she said. “You compete against the same people internationally, so even though I was coming from another country, there were faces I recognized.”

Turning Challenges Into Purpose

Like many international students, the transition to college in the United States came with challenges beyond academics and athletics. Visa paperwork, employment restrictions, taxes, and navigating life in a completely different system quickly became overwhelming at times.

Instead of keeping those experiences to herself, Anbarlilar turned them into motivation to help others.

“I know they need help because I needed it,” she said. “No one gives you a handbook on how to do it.”

Over the past three years, she has become one of the most trusted mentors for international scholar-athletes within UC San Diego Athletics. Whether helping students understand visa documents, explaining employment regulations, or guiding younger athletes through the transition process, she has built a reputation as someone others can depend on.

Her leadership developed naturally through the Triton Athletic Council (TAC), where she first served as fundraising chair before becoming vice president. Wanting to feel more connected within the larger athletic department, she used TAC as an opportunity to represent both fencing and international scholar-athletes across campus.

“My goal coming into the U.S. was to make the most of every opportunity,” she said. “I wanted to branch out as much as I could.”

Representing More Than Herself

One initiative especially meaningful to Anbarlilar involved advocating for international athletes to have their national flags displayed during media days and competitions. What started as a simple idea became a powerful symbol of belonging for athletes competing far from home.

“It’s so rewarding seeing people proud of their country and representing it,” she said. “I’m happy I can help make them feel that way too.”

That desire to create belonging comes from personal experience. While she admits there are still moments when she feels like a foreigner, she has learned to embrace that identity rather than hide from it.

“It made me realize it’s a big part of my identity that I’m so proud of,” she said. “I get to represent my country from so far away.”

Her impact has extended beyond teammates and classmates. Inspired by the experience she built at UC San Diego, her younger brother will join the Tritons next year as a fellow fencer, something she describes as one of the most meaningful parts of her journey.

“I’m super happy I was able to inspire him to do this,” she said. “I hope his experience is even more enjoyable than mine was.”

Building a Future Beyond Athletics

While continuing to compete at a high level in fencing, Anbarlilar has also built an impressive professional path. Originally entering UC San Diego interested in neuroscience, she eventually discovered a passion for machine learning, analytics, and problem-solving. Now majoring in cognitive science with a specialization in machine learning and minoring in business analytics in sixth college, she hopes to pursue a future in product management.

This summer, she will take another major step toward that goal through a product management internship with Chobani in New York.

Her drive to succeed professionally is deeply connected to the lessons she learned through athletics.

“Fencing is basically mental chess,” she said. “You make split-second decisions under pressure constantly.”

The sport taught her discipline, communication, and how to remain composed in difficult moments, skills she now carries into leadership roles, internships, and everyday life.

Still, no matter how much she accomplishes, her focus remains centered on helping others succeed alongside her.

“I want to give people a better experience than I had,” she said.

More Than a Triton

For Anbarlilar, success has never been measured solely by rankings, medals, or achievements. Instead, it is defined by the people she impacts and the opportunities she creates for others navigating the same uncertainty she once faced.

Whether mentoring younger international students, advocating for representation, leading within UC San Diego Athletics, or inspiring her younger brother to follow a similar path, she has created a lasting impact far beyond competition.

“Even though parts of my journey have been difficult, that never made it impossible,” she said. “It takes a lot of effort and energy, but in the end, it’s worth it.”

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.