Personal Statement
I am an African-American "straight-A" Honors student, ranked No. 3 in my class of about 373 students (top 1%). As a high school senior (2019-20) and a Diploma Candidate of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, I am proud to be challenging myself academically to the greatest extent possible in my school system, Cumberland County Schools (NC). Academics are a major focal point of my life.
In addition to basketball, I am also involved in my school’s Student Government Association, currently serving as Student Body President. I take my academic schoolwork very seriously, prioritizing it over ALL other extracurricular activities in my life – including basketball. As a result of my dedication to my studies, I plan to attend a selective four-year college or university. I feel this is the best way to ensure a successful future for me.
Outside the classroom, basketball has always been one of my favorite activities. Playing AAU travel basketball for four years, playing for my middle school basketball team, and currently playing for my high school’s varsity basketball team (first, as a sophomore) have all made me into the player that I am today. In addition, my experience in summer basketball camps, from the likes of PGC Basketball (Greensboro, N.C.) and Hoop Group-Academic Elite (Reading, Pa.), along with the Michael Jordan Flight School, (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Coach Wootten's basketball camp (Frostburg, Md.), the Roy Williams North Carolina basketball camp (Chapel Hill, N.C.), and other local camps (Methodist University Boys Basketball Camp and the Austin Lehmann Basketball Camp in Fayetteville, N.C.), have helped me grow as a player.
I would say I have had lots of success playing with many teams, but I have also faced challenges, both individually and as a team. From these challenges, I have learned to be persistent, to work hard, and to always keep my head up to ultimately persevere and overcome whatever challenge I face. Dealing with challenges in sports not only helps me grow as a player, but as a person as well.
