Mekhi Ellis '21 Recruiting Profile

I have not always been the most decorated student, but I am ready to enter college with a new outlook. I am hard-working, and I am hungry to make it.  Like most football players, I love the game, the teamwork, the camaraderie, and the push to defy odds.  I learned a lot from football and also from life about never quitting and giving your best.  Sometimes in the classroom, you might try your best, but you might have obstacles that get in the way, like my dyslexia.  I learned to overcome that, and I learned to be the best in other areas of my life.  At home, I work hard to be the best son.  I am always there for my friends and am glad to be a person they can count on and that their parents feel comfortable with me hanging out with them.  On a football team, I also bring my best.  If COVID did not stop our season, I would have been the Hamden Hall co-captain.  What COVID did not take is the awards I got in the 2019 season for being Most Improved and All-Conference awards.  I can tell you that I have the character to help a team be the best.  In the locker room, weight room, and on the field, I took advantage of the opportunity to be a leader.  My coaches saw this in me.  My dad says to me all the time, "When I put my mind to something, I can do it." Within two years, I was voted captain of the team. With the school's tradition, I had to give a speech to the outgoing captains and our coaches. I spoke from the heart about others, and when it was time for the announcement of captain, others spoke about me, the newly announced captain. It was nice to hear that others saw me as I try to be. That is light-hearted, hard-working, and not a quitter. They spoke about games when I made the winning difference and times that we were down, and I refused to give up or give in.  I have always known that I have great athletic ability, but I am not sure that I always proved it to others and modeled leadership. I started my junior year with a plan. I worked harder than anyone else in practice and during the game. I encouraged everyone else around me to work hard too. I did not know that 2019 would be the last year I had to play high school football.

   I realize that missing out on a season of football is not as major as it seems. This year I have had two friends whose parents got COVID-19 and died. Another thing, I have two older brothers. My oldest brother is not able to go to college. He has to watch me and my other brother pursue our dreams, and his dreams are at a distance. I have seen other things in life that also let me know what real problems are.  I have worked on two different local campaigns. In listening to the candidates running for office, I learned about really big problems people have in their lives. I knocked on doors canvassing. I visited elderly homes. I even visited a homeless shelter. I am somewhat undecided about my major, but I know I want to help people in my family, like my older brother and people in my community.