Mateo Sufuentes '21 Recruiting Profile

My preferred position is as holding midfielder however I also play the traditional eight position. I now play for Oregon United FC, along with the varsity team for Catlin Gabel High School. 

By playing with both teams I have learned to be flexible: I will play in the midfield as well as on the wing, wherever the team needs me. In the past years, I have also lead the team as a defender. My game resembles that of Spanish national, and FC Barcelona player, Sergio Busquets, or Frenkie de Jong as my game revolves around my effort and defensive composure along with playing my best when I move the ball quickly in the spirit of Tiki Taka. 

I am very competitive and push myself to the maximum constantly and that is what I love: bettering myself and proving my own doubts wrong. I want to continue to get better and compete in college. Soccer is in my blood and I cannot imagine going a week or a day without kicking the ball around. 

At the moment I have an unweighted GPA of 3.81 as of my first semester this year.  As with athletics, always challenge myself, especially in practice, I chose the hardest possible set of classes regardless of the grade I get. Even though I do aim for the highest grades, I have learned to focus on the process and my own learning, as well as building positive habits. I believe in my own work ethic and in my ability to lead and motivate, especially because I need to be consistent and motivate myself to overcome challenging courses. 

I take part in Model United Nations, as well as working with the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses (NAMI) to spread awareness about mental health, especially with folks my age. In addition, I have also started the first Hispanic Affinity Group at my high school this year, and I take part in events organized by Thrive, to give back to my Hispanic heritage. I also represent my local Hispanic community in student government as I was selected to be a part of the Diversity Council at school. The Diversity Council deals with cultural issues, with regards to representation, making school a safe environment for respectful and productive conversation, and for the diversity of identity and thought. 

These extracurriculars are centered around inclusivity in order to allow for collaboration and coexistence within a diverse group. For this reason, I was awarded the Palma Scholarship for my high school. As a part of the Palma cohort of students, we focus on the four pillars of the program: academics, sports, leadership, and community service. I began high school with the academics down, as well as leadership, and average at sports, without much community service. I am now a junior taking the most challenging courses, starting on the best 3A high school team in the state along with the best boys 03 team in the state, I take part in student government and started my own affinity group, and I am partnering with NAMI to run a mental health internship for young people.