Personal Statement
Competitive springboard diving has simply become the medium through which I can test my limits, my character, and my skills.
The first time I stood on the edge of a 1 meter springboard and looked into the diving well, my coach told me to dive in head first to show him what I could do. I had never dived before in my life, besides playing around at the community pools on the Army Posts where my dad has been stationed and where we have lived. However, I remember this first attempt vividly: I was not sure of myself; I was a bit scared; and I just jumped into the pool feet first. My coach looked at me after I came out of the pool and said, “I can work with that!” By the end of my first season, I had qualified for and competed at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) District 3 Championship meet as a freshman. By my Junior year I had qualified for the PIAA State Meet at Bucknell University in February of 2020.
Likewise, attending Dive camps at the U.S. Naval Academy and Liberty University improved my skills and helped me focus to become a better diver every time I enter the diving well. I love this sport because of the challenges it presents and the goals it sets.
This has translated into all aspects of my life; mentally, academically, physically and spiritually. My aspirations for college, diving and (quite simply) life, have become the following:
- To face fear, gather courage, and execute the mission. Whether it’s standing on the edge of a 10-meter platform and diving in, or taking that environmental engineering class to help find solutions for the future.
- To earn and build trust. Trust in my coaches and counselors to correct me when I’m wrong and coach and mentor me in the proper direction. Also trust in myself to become that someone that is both coachable and someone who is trustworthy to others.
I am looking for a program that will challenge me to become the best diver I can be; to face any challenge or fear head-on and then pull out a fantastic dive that reflects great credit upon my school, my coach, and my family. Bottom line, I truly desire to be a part of a team where everyone pulls together to help the coach make the entire dive program stronger and better each year, and helps each teammate be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
