From Juba, South Sudan to McAllen, Peter Jurkin has faced constant adversity but now stands tall at 7 feet as the owner of Yummy’s Ice Cream & Mini Donuts.
For Jurkin, coming to America to play basketball as part of the African Hoop Opportunities Providing an Education Foundation (A-HOPE) was an opportunity of a lifetime but explains that the transition from South Sudan to America was difficult due to the language barrier.
“I moved down here, don’t speak any English at all, not even a little bit of it, and really is the tough time that I went through, like maybe three years trying to learn English and try to fit in with everybody,” he said.
Jurkin adds the support he received from former NBA player Muggsy Bogues and his wife Kim Bogues are not only the reason he became an improved basketball player but also find his way in the U.S.
“Aw man… Muggsy Bogues is the reason why I am a basketball career become really, really good,” Jurkin said. “Start high school and he took me in like one of his kin and he just, he taught me everything about basketball.”
Jurkin was a 3-star player coming out of United Faith Christian Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina and decided to play at Indiana University in the BIG10 where he would meet his future wife Rebecca Jurkin, a Valley native.
While at Indiana University he was teammates with future NBA players Cody Zeller, Yogi Ferrell, Noah Vonleh and two-time NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo.
Jurkin didn’t receive much playing time due to injuries and the same problem persisted when he transferred to East Tennessee State University of the Southern Conference.
Yet, after many seasons of frustration Jurkin finally got the starting center position his senior season and posted averages of 7 points and 4 rebounds per game.
After college Jurkin tried out for the Greensborough Swarm of the NBA G-League but was cut. Afterwards, he would come to the Rio Grande Valley to visit Rebecca and instantly loved the community and decided to make the Valley his home.
Jurkin then decided to open up his own business, a dream he’s had since childhood as his dead father Paul Lako Jurkin was a businessman in South Sudan.
When Jurkin opened Yummy’s Ice Cream & Mini Donuts he faced many hardships as COVID-19 took a toll on his business but his college basketball experience prepared him for the challenge.
“But it’s like my basketball career,” Jurkin said. “Nothing changed. It’s like starting something new and then getting shutdown and it’s something that planning on it, something that I’ve been going through it since I was in college.”
Due to the outpouring of support for local black businesses as a result of summer protest against social injustice, Jurkin’s business is now growing. He has hired additional staff and is looking to open up a new location in Harlingen by the end of the month.
For UTRGV men’s basketball and redshirt junior Marek Nelson, who is currently majoring in business finance, Jurkin’s history provides him a guide to success once his playing career is over.
“It means a lot to be able to see someone like, see that kind of story, and see that kind of… that career path because obviously, that’s something that can be very similar to what I can guide and structure my kind of situation as and dissing someone who obviously played collegiate basketball at a high level and obviously has a business here locally where I’m going to school,” Nelson said.
Jurkin wants to thank the people of the Rio Grande Valley for making his dream a reality and by providing countless memories.
“It’s a blessing, it’s something that… especially here in the Valley, the support I had is something I won’t forget about it,” Jurkin said. “It just changed the way I see things and it just… all the support for black businesses and it just opened doors and those the part that I will not forget about.”
For the in-depth story on Jurkin’s life, visit utrgvradio.com
For Vaquero Radio, I’m Luis Rubio.
