CJ Rivera Charlesworth '19 Recruiting Profile

I am the mixture of culture and tradition, so far from the originals that being considered “different” is a common occurrence. As a mixture of different cultures and traditions, the production has caused me to feel like an outsider. There is no tribe that can encompass me. There is not one that in which a person such as myself fits in. Like being part of a team that sees you as their opponent. The grass may be greener on the other side, but I have always found the best aspects of life in that which is looked on as undesirable. However, there is something beautiful in being different, being a combination of areas spread far across the globe, and being a part of that side where the grass grows as nature wills.

Identity has always been a continuous struggle for me. People constantly ask questions such as “where are you from?” or “what is your ethnicity?”, I always struggle to give an answer that won’t take up their whole day. My background consists of two heavily contrasting worlds; one side being from Isabella, Philippines, plagued with poverty and a large socioeconomic divide but, combined with the beautiful simplicity of the tropical climate. The other, from a diligent working-class family in Leeds, England. Both with desires to travel the world. Proudly, I am made up of many nationalities, all coming together to form who me as a person. I am British, Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, French Canadian, and proud of each one.  

My personal experiences deviate from my parents and their experiences, absorbing the culture wrapped around me since birth. I was born in Belflower, California, where I spent a 3 months, before moving to Pattaya, Thailand in which I spent much of my childhood, learning the language, absorbing the culture, imitating the behavior, and best of all the exquisite cuisine of the Thai people. The majority of my mother’s family dwelt in the Philippines, causing my childhood to pass there as well. By 4 years old I was a native speaker of two languages: Thai and Tagalog, neither of which are the primary language that I now speak. At the age of 5, I moved to England, where language was a constant struggle for me. After eventually being forced to surrender much of my Thai and Tagalog vocabulary in order to master English, I was lost, feeling stripped of a part of who I was.

Going against the grain at a young age, I fell in love with basketball opposed to most boys’ preference for football. My love for basketball was tested, living in an area where the sport was scarce. Despite my circumstances, I continued to pursue a career in basketball. I progressed in my sport, representing Yorkshire, and eventually achieving a basketball scholarship to Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate academy. There, I heavily specialized in basketball training, sports science, psychology, and mathematics. Following graduation, I earned a space to attend Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, Florida to further my basketball training and experience, a challenge both in academics and athletics. With my goal always being to make basketball a long-term affair, with dreams of playing professional level basketball in the Philippines, I have kept my nose to the ground since I was 6.

I credit myself on my hard work and dedication within all aspects of life, which helps me improve who I am as a person. Furthermore, I tend to allow my actions to speak for me, especially the ones that include my admiration to basketball, diligence in the classroom, and aiding my family by any means. With so many trials and tribulations in my rear-view window, I understand that hindsight is 20/20 and that mistakes are made to learn from. I thrive in the face of new challenges, collegiate basketball being my newest and greatest one.