Ronan Malaghan '21 Recruiting Profile

I am working toward my goal of playing on a college soccer team and earning an academic scholarship to a prestigious university. I compete at the highest level available in sports and at school. In my junior year, my teammates voted me as captain and MVP of the boy's soccer team. In our first year of having a team at our school, we competed at the Idaho State Championship. In the 2019 season, I was also named on the All-Intermountain League boys soccer team.

Since 2014, I have participated in Idaho ODP team in the State Pool, state team, and regional camps. From 2015-2018, I played on Timbers Thorns North Football Club, my community’s largest soccer club. When not playing, I work on my fitness by participating in activities that build my strength, fitness, and endurance such as body building, road cycling, mountain biking, and skiing. In the summer of 2019, I worked for a window washing company.

I am on the High Honor Roll at Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, a college-preparatory charter school, recognized as one of America’s 100 most challenging high schools by The Washington Post. In 2019, U.S News and World Report ranked my school as 234th out of over 19,000 high schools in the nation.  My oldest sibling inspires my academic goals; they are working on a PhD in computational biology and medicine at Cornell University. I am a competitive person and enjoy challenging myself both in the classroom and on the soccer pitch. My coaches and teachers describe me as coachable, hard-working, focused, and committed.

I am also learning some hard life lessons. In August 2018, my father suffered a massive stroke as a result of a freak accident that left him permanently disabled, partially paralyzed, and with global aphasia; he is unable to talk, read or write. I stepped up my responsibilities at home to help my mom as she and I are my dad's only caregivers.  My mother works full time to support our family since my dad is unable to work. I am learning how to be resilient, independent, and self-sufficient so I can help my family while maintaining my rigorous academic studies and helping my dad regain his independence. Our family is still in the midst of our recovery as we adjust to our new reality. I know I have more lessons to learn from this experience.