Logan Fraker '17 Recruiting Profile

I am writing to be considered for a men's cross country and a track and field scholarship or financial aid assistance due to my deep passion for physical fitness that I participate in through competitive running.  Over the course of my high school years, I was involved in both men’s cross country and track and field, participating on the distance team during the track and field seasons.  I am drawn to running because I am able to set goals for myself.  I set out to achieve personal records during each meet, workout, and event that I participate in. 

Now that I have graduated from high school, I attend junior college at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL and when I receive my associate’s degree in May of 2017, I will transfer my credits to obtain an undergraduate degree in exercise science or psychology from a yet-to-be determined university or college.  While at the College of DuPage, I have been involved in cross country and track, and in both sports, I have qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) national championships in distance running events.  Once I complete my undergraduate degree, I will apply for acceptance into physical therapy school. 

The lessons I have learned from participating in a distance running team are immense, but the most important lesson running teaches the athlete is about mental toughness.  Because each runner is creating a battle of will against the clock, it creates a dynamic in which one can push themselves further and harder because the dependence on achieving goals are 100% on the athlete, versus a team sport like basketball or football. 

Another significant lesson I have learned from running is patience.  At the time of this writing, I am injured, having been diagnosed with a stress fracture in my fibula during a workout run, and I am participating in an aggressive rehabilitation program with a goal to compete at the NJCAA national championships in a month.  Even though I am not out on the track running right now, I follow the physical therapist’s instructions completely and I participate in the cardiovascular conditioning I need to maintain by climbing on a stationary bike every day versus lacing up my running shoes. 

I am interested in being considered for assistance because I am furthering my education to pursue a career in physical therapy, which inherently is a “sport” of sorts, in that I will be able to work with a team of caregivers to help patients improve their health and wellness.  I have been drawn to physical therapy since I was a sophomore in high school when I had a severe hamstring injury that required physical therapy, and I have not looked back.

The most significant achievements I have accomplished over the past five years is being selected into the Iowa All State Honor Choir in November of 2014 (over 1400 vocalists audition and only 600 are selected), and achieving the Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouting, which I accomplished in October of 2014.  I am an extremely faith-based person, and I have participated in many activities (primarily through scouting) which have been religious in nature and have supported my Christian values through the United Methodist Church. 

In closing, I would like to conclude by stating that my Christian-based faith and scouting ideals guide everything I aspire to be both today and well into my adulthood.  I am proud of my accomplishments through scouting, my community, my church, and my school, and I am confident that I will achieve my goals through the foundation of which scouting has built for me.  I know that my career choice is the right one, and I am thrilled at the possibilities of serving patients in this manner. 

Yours truly,

Logan S. Fraker