Do it.
Whittaker (20) is back in Dunedin on a two-and-a-half-month break and will return to McKendree University in Illinois for her junior year at the start of August, where she plays in the midfield and further forward for the McKendree Bearcats women's football team - or soccer, as the Americans call it.
Whittaker, who was coaching pupils at her old school Tahuna Intermediate yesterday, is majoring in psychology with a minor in management and leadership.
"It's all really interesting, so I'm enjoying what I'm learning,'' she said.
"I'm loving what I'm doing and it's all going really well. The academic [side] is really important to me and it's just a bonus that I get to play and travel and experience life in another country.''
That bonus of playing football grew for Whittaker last season.
After starting three games and making 13 appearances off the bench as a freshman, the former St Hilda's Collegiate pupil started all 19 games last season and scored four goals.
The Bearcats play in the Great Lakes Valley conference in NCAA Division II, and reached the conference's championship tournament last season with seven wins in the conference and eight overall.
"That was really good and a different experience going into the tournament atmosphere. It was really intense and really exciting.''
Having a crack at getting into the American college system is becoming a genuine option for New Zealand teenagers, as recruiters increase their presence, and Whittaker said it was a perfect option for hard workers with a love of sport.
"There are so many opportunities and so many colleges out there,'' she said.
"So as long as you work hard academically and on the field, seriously, there are so many things out there that people can do. If you're willing to work hard and it's something you're seriously looking at doing, go for it.
"I don't regret any part of it. It's definitely one of the best decisions I've made.''
Whittaker will turn out for her club Dunedin Technical until she leaves for the United States again at the start of August, and enjoys coaching when she gets the chance, such as yesterday.
"I know it sounds so cliched, but I love watching people when they work so hard at something then they get it done.''
