- 2022 Spotlight
Personal Statement
I am a student-athlete. At first, academics weren’t a big thing for me. I was relying on sports to open doors and take me places. That all changed when I was adopted my freshman year of high school. Schoolwork was an important part of my new family’s structure. I realized I had to start doing homework instead of playing video games and watching tv a lot. I had to prioritize and I had to live by their rules.
When I was getting all this hype from friends and family about playing basketball in college I never considered the role of academics. I thought that if you were good at a sport, you really didn’t need school. I was so wrong. I learned so much from my coaches and college coaches about academics. The first question I hear on a call is what is your GPA? What kind of classes are you taking? What would your teacher say about you as a student?
Realizing that, I am an improving student. I want to build a good relationship with my teachers now. I talk to them when I need help to show that I care and turn my work in on time. I used to think that if I was nice I could get out of completing work. Now I see that school helps me so changing my approach has opened so many doors. I’m even learning to enjoy classes I never thought I would. When I started at Morris Catholic in September, they enrolled me in a marine science class. I was so annoyed. Then I loved it because I learned something different and in a new way. In fact, it’s the only science class I’ve ever been interested in. We dissected a sea bass which was pretty cool because I like fishing. And, I’m impressed that my teacher was a real marine scientist. She makes us all excited about sea life and it’s shown me how much school can change me.
I work hard at basketball but now I know that it’s just one part of me that needs to be successful for college. And it’s not just to play basketball. I need to be a success, earn a degree to live on my own, make good decisions and be secure. I don’t want the life my mom had. I want to be able to start my own family and change the reputation of my past. With a college education, I will overcome obstacles and start something positive and new. Just as I have concentrated on defense in my basketball, I know that creating a good foundation is hard work but it is the best defense for making sure that I have a good life and inspire others to do the same.
