- 2022 Spotlight
Personal Statement
Soccer is my community—it has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I grew up kicking a soccer ball right next to the Chelsea training grounds but my official soccer career began at the age of seven. Even through all my moves from London to Hong Kong to New Jersey, soccer has been my constant. In Hong Kong, I played with Asia Pacific Soccer Schools, Brazilian Football Academy, and Hong Kong Football Club, and with each new team and each new step outside of my comfort zone, I furthered my skills in communication, team building, and leadership. Every new neighborhood and school brought me to a different soccer team and community, all of which have been invaluable in helping me understand how to interact with various coaches and teammates from multiple countries and cultures. From defensive player to MVP to team captain throughout my soccer career, I have been able to truly understand what it means to be an effective leader and team player.
Soccer is my teacher—it has helped me develop focus, discipline, and self-motivation. I had always played defensive midfield, but in my sophomore year at the Peddie School, I took the role of goalkeeper on the school’s varsity team. I have been able to use my midfield training to understand the game, and with solid foot skills and a better pass vision and distribution, I know what pass is the best to make and can effectively scan the field for threats. To build my goalkeeping skills, I participate in three types of training: club team training during regular team practices, club team goalkeeper trainings, and private goalkeeper trainings to help me build and solidify every skill from shot stopping to handling to lace, loft, and volley drills. Whether it is taking turns getting every shot from the goalkeeper in club training or practicing my positioning for hours with my private coach, every move is made with the commitment to become the best keeper I can be. I have only just completed my first season as a keeper but have already solidified my spot as the starting goalkeeper for the Peddie School’s Varsity team, am in the rotation of goalkeepers that play all the minutes for MatchFit Academy, and was honored by being named Second All-MAPL team, All Prep FIrst Team honorary mention and the rights to the captains armband next year. Just like any great teacher, soccer sees my potential, and I am confident that training at the college level will push me to fully reach it.
Soccer is my heart—it has been fundamental in shaping who I am, my core values, beliefs, and dreams. Because of my passion for not only soccer but sports in general, I have always been interested in studying sports records and statistics. Combining my academic strengths in mathematics and interest in numbers, I interned at Access Ventures and helped lead a team to research education technology for KooBits, a program that teaches Singaporean-style math. To gain more knowledge in business, I attended UPenn Wharton’s summer course “Intro to the Business World” and in this entrepreneurship class I worked with a team to create, market, and sell a product. In college, I aspire to further my academic interests in business, finance, and economics along with pursuing my dreams of becoming the best goalkeeper as I develop as a student, athlete, and individual.
