Jonathan Maul '20 Recruiting Profile

    I do not think that I can name one moment in time that has been the highlight of my soccer career thus far. I may have game statistics that look impressive to some, honors that recognize hard work, and failures that could be demoralizing to those that do not see the big picture. Instead I feel that each failure, each lesson learned, and each accomplishment adds another piece  to the big picture that I am trying to create. I think this is a lesson that I have learned in my photography classes. Sometimes the lighting is off or sometimes the subject moves just out of focus and sometimes you catch something exciting and totally unexpected. No matter what, it is something that I put my heart into and my takeaway is something that I can learn from and be proud of.  In much the same way I try to view my soccer experiences. My high school team has not always been successful in terms of wins and losses. Instead of letting that get me down or giving up I have learned to embrace my personal accomplishments, team accomplishments, and focus myself to be a good leader. For example, this past season being named team captain and receiving 2nd team all division was equally as exciting as losing a game 2-1 to a top team that expected to easily sail past us. I played hard and had double digit saves by the end of the game. My team played hard as well right down to the final whistle. We rejoiced in our small success and then got to work the next day to see what we could improve.

    In much the same way I have strived to become a better student and person. My end of sophomore year overall GPA of 3.4 was admirable. I knew though that I was not giving my education as much effort as I could. I was just cruising along. Through effort and a conscious plan I have maintained almost straight A’s my junior year while taking classes such as Pre-calculus and Honors Biology. I have also tried to add to my big picture by planning a Boy Scouts of America Eagle project. The plan to revitalize a “forgotten” local park will have benefits personally, to my community, and to the local wildlife. I have already grown by learning new organization and leadership skills. I have been pushed to overcome my discomfort of public speaking when I delivered a proposal to my town council. I have also discovered a new passion and  a career path in environmental engineering or science that I hope to pursue in the future.

    The takeaway from all of this is that I truly believe that I have  the athletic, leadership, and educational skills to become a successful collegiate student athlete. My talent and work ethic can positively impact  your team and institution. I look forward to becoming a contributing member of your team!