Michael Cornick '22 Recruiting Profile

 My sixth-grade coach said something to me that I will never forget, he said "You must choose to take a chance, or your life will never change." Most people would say the odds were against me significantly because I was born an African American boy, raised by a single mother and lived in an inner-city. I am the oldest of three children and being the first and only boy in my family, I found that I would have to work a lot harder to succeed. I was born a black male in a city where minorities are the majority. In the “City of Brotherly love” gun violence is just as common as a car accident. Turn on the news anytime and you will hear about school yards living rooms  and playgrounds being riddled with bullets. One thing that still scares me is being in the wrong place at the wrong time could mean life or death.

        My story is not so uncommon among my peers but what makes me different from the rest are two events that helped shape and cultivate me into the person I am today: moving to a new city and playing football. When my mom relocated, this decision afforded my siblings and me a better opportunity to grow, learn, and be kids again. I was able to play, walk to school, and not be confronted by drug dealers and have the fear of getting shot. For as long as I can remember, I have always been involved in an athletic program. I like to consider myself a 3-star athlete: football, basketball, and track. I have learned many life lessons by being a part of these sports teams. I have learned how to be responsible and take responsibility for my actions, how to be a leader, be honest, to have self-discipline, loyalty, and a strong work ethic.

I never considered college as an option, because most of us get jobs to help family. My goal is to attend college, thrive, and excel academically, mentally, and physically. When I drive through my old neighborhood, I see the same fellas, on the same corners, selling drugs. My heart gets heavy when I think of the faces that I will never see again, the ones that were taken too soon by the graveyard or the prison yard. These guys that are just like me lost to the graveyard or prison yard never had a chance to even make their choices.  The realization of becoming a product of my environment was all too real for me so I am glad to have this opportunity to change my future. So many great role models saw enough in me to invest their time, resources, and at times just an encouraging word. They gave me a chance, and I choose to go back and help the communities that helped shape the person I am today.