- February 2017
Personal Statement
My name is Eva Vasquez-Peterson. I am sixteen years old and currently a junior at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida. I’ve been playing tennis since the second grade and plan to achieve my goal to play tennis competitively in college to supplement academics. A family friend introduced me to tennis in second grade, just as a “fun afterschool activity.” It wasn’t until sixth grade that I began playing more competitively in tournaments all around Florida. The hardest decision I’ve had to make was to quit soccer freshman year, after being on varsity, to focus 100% on tennis all year round for the rest of my high school years. However, this commitment is necessary for me to pursue my goal of being on the varsity team in the top three seeds. I’ve learned throughout my tennis experience that no matter what goes on in life, I have to commit time and effort on and off the court, rain or shine to achieve my goal.
In the beginning of sophomore year, I transferred from one high school to another to balance academics and tennis. During tenth grade, I took more challenging classes but also was undefeated at the number four seed in both doubles and singles up until the second round of regionals. After the devastating loss, as a team we consoled our seniors and encouraged each to train hard over summer and come back next year with positive attitudes to win regionals so that we can make it to state as a team. As a teammate I push others and myself to the max regardless of the score, and I know giving up at any time isn’t an option!
