Personal Statement
My parents have introduced me to many things that have helped define my life today. Such as, they started my formal education at an academic-focused private school, they’ve showed me to embrace my Mexican heritage and they recreationally introduced me to the game of tennis. During the last couple of years I have grown to make many of my own choices, thus developing a love for tennis and the motivation to challenge myself academically so I can pursue a career in Computer Science.
My abuelito and abuelita (paternal grandfather and grandmother) didn’t have the opportunity to go to school past sixth grade, yet instilled the importance of education in my father, and both my parents are well-educated and have always stressed my education. From kindergarten to eighth grade, I attended small private school and now attend a large public high school, which was an adjustment. My high school has kids from many different backgrounds, classes are large and you’re responsible for managing your school work. At University High School, one of the nation’s most rigorous college preparatory schools, I am a forced to balance a demanding curriculum of AP classes and a self-imposed demanding tennis schedule. Unlike many of my home-schooled, junior tournament tennis peers, I don’t have the luxury of an academic curriculum that is designed to accommodate tennis first. I have developed excellent time-management skills that are evidenced by my academic achievements and my development on the tennis court. Fundamentally, I am getting the best training to be a student-athlete. My student-athlete readiness will be a clear advantage when I play NCAA tennis.
Most of my tennis peers began playing national level tournament tennis at a very early age. Conversely, I did not seriously compete until I was 14, which put me behind in match experience and refined technique. Consequently, I was eager to work harder than anyone else my age to catch up competitively. When I began to catch up, my friend, Hailey, told me that the players in Phoenix thought I had moved to Arizona from out of state because I “just showed up and was challenging good players.” I enjoy setting challenging goals, working towards them and feeling I have accomplished them. I am an ascending player with my best tennis ahead of me. Today I am working with Nelson Payne, an experienced player development coach, who is preparing me to succeed at the highest level of college tennis. My hitting coach, Chris Cooprider, is a former professional hitting partner and ATP player and he is helping make dramatic improvements to my shot execution.
Tennis is my passion and academics defines my future. Playing tennis is not work; it's fun; it's what I look forward to everyday. Playing tennis, competing on the court, helps me feel good, helps me perform in school, clearly giving me the balance I need to be a quality student-athlete. I am interested in attending a school with a reputable Computer Science program and a ascending women's tennis program. I began playing tournament tennis relatively late compared to my tournament tennis peers, so I am looking for a coach that can help me continue to improve my game. My goal is to become a strong asset for any team I play for and achieve a 10-plus UTR by my Junior year.
I hope you will make the effort to evaluate my athleticism, my intelligence, my determination, and my potential to be a contributor on and off the court for your tennis team. I look forward to meeting you and possibly being coached by you.
