McKenzie Collier '23 Recruiting Profile

I have always been athletic and started swimming competitively from Kindergarten to 2nd grade.  However, I made the decision to switch sports in third grade when I was introduced to field hockey by a neighbor who had played for Brown. It's still a relatively new sport in Charlotte and it wasn't offered in our public schools (we just got a team at my high school!), so I had to commit myself to playing on a club team and going the extra mile to travel up and down the East Coast in order to get much experience playing as I could.  In addition to playing a sport I love, I've tried hard to make sure I build deep friendships with as many of the players as I can.  

While I'm proud of my accomplishments on the field, I'm also proud of what I've been able to achieve in school and life.  Just over two years ago, I lost a friend to a suicide and I've since dedicated my life to finding ways to reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues, as well as find ways  for teenagers to talk about the big issues we face today.  We live in incredibly stressful times and I'm hoping my efforts (in partnership with others) will help those who feel overwhelmed by everything.