Zion Mills '24 Recruiting Profile

I consider myself to be an ordinary teenager. This is my Senior year. Since kindergarten, I have known that I am in the class of 2024. Now with graduation within sight, I am asked to share what makes me stand out. One thing I can add is that I am a young black teen. According to statistics, one would assume that I have a parent if not both in jail or dead and I would be being raised by my grandmother. If my parents were together, then I would be known to be living on the other side of town. But that is not my lot. I have been raised in a home with siblings by our parents for the past 26 years. I am the youngest in this union. I have an older brother and sister. One would wonder why I would bring them up, but they have served as role models for me. My oldest brother graduated from West Point in December of 2022 and is a second Lieutenant in Georgia. My older sister is a graduate of Spelman College and graduated Magna cum Laude a year early, and this fall she began studies at New York University.

Why do I mention them? We grew up in the same house and share the same DNA. We are what people would call PK’s, “preacher kids”. Our Dad is a pastor of a historically black church in downtown Greenville. Our church is multigenerational. It’s funny, but we are a part of a lot of families. I have learned and seen so much in my young life, and as I reflect on my life as I begin to take this journey, I find and know that I have a heart to be compassionate for people which is one of the reasons I believe that I want to serve and be an educator. This is what I have witnessed all of my life. Growing up with my father and mother both being educators and seeing the lasting impact they had on their former students was truly a blessing to see from a young age. Seeing my parents invite their former students over for dinner or babysit me and my siblings impacted me. Hearing how they spoke so highly of my parents lit a spark in me that I did not know at the time. Growing up around that truly inspired me, I aspire to have an impact on the younger generation. 

I have played football for all of my life and from it I have gained the ability to be steadfast and resilient as well as helping teammates with their needs, Film reviews, learning playbooks Etc. I have dealt with intense criticism but have been able to use that to increase my ability to play the game. Football has taught me a lot of lessons, it taught me how to keep fighting even if something doesn't go your way.