- 2014 Highlights
Personal Statement
My name is Caleb Stearne and I am originally from Hanford, California. The world I come from is a small world. Hanford California is a very small town pretty much everybody knows everybody. Hanford was great a place to raise a family. Living in such a small town really shaped me as a person. Both parents were working, and at a young age I had to learn how to catch the bus. This really taught me responsibility and accountability. Not only did the community of Hanford teach me about myself, but it also shaped my dreams and aspirations.
One of my dreams was to be a football player. As a young child growing up,all I knew was football. Every day all I wanted to do was play football. I started playing football at a young age. Every time I step on the field it taught me discipline and never to give up when times got hard. Living in a small town really shaped me as a person. Now I am living in Fairfield. California.
Living here is still kind of new to me, but its teaching me how to adapt to new things and new people. Making my home in Fairfield was kind of hard at first, but as time went on I got used to it. Meeting new people is the best part about residing here in Fairfield. I believe the one thing that is really teaching me the greatest life lesson is playing for Rodriguez High School football program.
Our team really doesn’t win many games. The coaches as well as the culture at the school out here really doesn’t help. Yes, I have been discouraged, let down, and felt like giving up, but something down inside me tells me not to stop but to keep pushing forward; and thats what I plan to keep on doing because my overall goal in life is to play college football, get a free education, and have the chance to play in the National Football League.
Both of my parents always stressed the word “responsibility” as I was growing up, especially my dad. He was always there when things went wrong not only on the football field, but in the classroom as well. My dad was and still is teaching me what it means to become a man, and what it means to work extremely hard for the things you want in life. I learned a lot from him, but the most important lesson he ever taught was not to give up on your dream.
Now my mom is totally different, she stressed responsibility as well by telling me to clean my room, wash the dishes, and take out the trash. But what she really encouraged both me and my brother was to do was always stay in church no matter what circumstances pop up in our lives. She believes that God should be our backbone as a family. I have been going to church ever since I was born into this world. Church I think really built me as a person such as teaching me right from wrong and giving me the stepping stones to life. Growing up I have made many bad choices. You know why because no one is perfect.
I am not going to sit here and say that I am the best and most flawless person known to mankind. Yes, I have made mistakes such as getting kicked out of school and from there jumping from school to school because I never could stay out of trouble. Not really until 7th grade did I realize that I should be taking my education seriously. Yes, by then I did stop getting into trouble with the administration, but I still had a academic problem. My grades weren’t the best I struggled in core subjects such as math, science, and history. I thought school wasn’t for me. I glided through 7th grade all the way up to the end of my sophomore year and that's when it really hit me. It was like I had an epiphany; and I said myself. “I need to get my act together if I want to go to college”. So from that day forward I have been striving to be successful on and off the field no matter what comes my way. I believe I can overcome anything because “Nothing beats a failure but a try”.
