Morgan Rook ‘15 Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

Hi! My name is Morgan Rook. I am 17 years old and I will be a senior at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, Florida. I started playing volleyball in the 7th grade and have been "hooked" on the sport ever since! My primary volleyball position is libero and I have worked hard to earn the position of starting libero on the Timber Creek Girl's Varsity Volleyball Team in both my Sophomore and Junior Years. I am passionate about the sport of volleyball and it is my desire to work hard and to continually improve my skills so that I can reach my goal to play at the collegiate level.

I understand what it feels like to face adversity and I have also experienced the rewarding satisfaction that comes with overcoming life's challenges and achieving your goals. At the age of 13, I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease known as Ulcerative Colitis. Initially this was devastating and overwhelming, but my parents and I made a decision that I was not going to let this disease "break" me or let it keep me from pursuing my dreams of playing the sport I loved or becoming a doctor one day. There have been bumps in the road along the way, but with the support of friends, coaches, mentors, doctors and family I am blessed to be enjoying good health and have been able to maintain a state of remission with my symptoms. In an effort to give back, my family and I are actively involved in speaking to groups in order to raise awareness about inflammatory bowel diseases as well as critical research funding for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. To date, the Rook Family has raised $17,100 for CCFA! On November 17th, 2013 we completed the Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half Marathon to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America as a family to celebrate our triumphs and many blessings!