Personal Statement
Hello, my name is Porter Stowell and I would like to introduce myself! I am a 16yr old Junior at Logan High School (Logan, Utah). Before I moved to Utah this year, I played JV and Freshman team soccer for 2 years at Prosper High School (Prosper, Texas). I also played club soccer with FCP Dynamos, which is now a part of Solar soccer club in Dallas, Texas. I was a starter and leader on the team for the entire time I lived in Texas. I have been into soccer since I was very young. I first started to really love the game when I played at school recess in Elementary. I wanted to get better so I could play with the older kids. Being the youngest player at recess and not as experienced definitely pushed me to work hard. They pushed me to fo us on developing my skills. I soon decided I wanted to play club soccer and I instantly fell in love with learning drills and working hard at my game every day. In my opinion, this is a sport unlike any other. It requires coordination, balance, endurance, hard work, talent, smarts and quick coordinated feet skills. Over the years, I have come to learn more about myself through the sport.
Playing this game has pushed me to learn a lot about myself. I have developed vital traits that have shaped me into the person I am currently; and it pushes me to ward the person I choose to be in the future. The first thing I have learned about myself, is that I am never fully satisfied with where I am now but I am willing to work towards getting better every day. I have dedicated weekends, weekday nights after school, and summers to becoming more elite and trying to perfect my craft. This internal drive has shown me that nothing can get in my way and I can achieve anything I put my mind to if I listen to others, work hard, and apply myself every day...especially on the rare days when I don't feel as motivated. Secondly, I have learned how resilient I am. Two years ago, I went through a rough season and was moved away from the starting position for a few games. I felt as if I had done something wrong, and I felt like coming off the bench was a reflection of how I was playing. So, I decided I would train harder and hit the gym. I worked with Scott Sealy, a former FC Dallas Professional player and also with Jesus “Chuy” Vera who is now part of the professional coaching staff at FC Dallas. Through hard work and resilience, I was able to recover my starting position and was playing better than I had ever played before. I have also hit other roadblocks in life and soccer has provided a therapeutic escape. I was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). This came as a huge shock and forced me to keep things in perspective. I have had to learn how to manage my T1D while also juggling school work and sports. Soccer has definably provided an outlet for me to escape diabetes. When I step on the field, I believe everyone becomes equal. I feel I have to prove to people T1D doesn’t stop you from doing what you love and definitely can’t keep you from you dreams.
I have not only worked hard to develop my athletic skills in soccer but in other things as well. I am a scratch golfer and plan on playing long into the future for relaxation and fun. I am also certified in CAD, a 3D modeling design program, which is a required license to have by any professional modeling designer. Being proficient in modeling design I also have a 3D printer. I built it from a kit and am constantly modifying it to run smoother and more reliably. I feel its good to balance academics and sports, even if some hobbies and interests are nerdier than others!
I plan on graduating from high school and pursing a college education in either medical science or engineering. I will have taken anatomy classes and various engineering classes by the time I graduate so I will be familiar with what I might want to do when I pick my major. I want to get the best possible education I can in whatever I do so I can set myself up for success in the future.
Genuinely,
Porter Stowell
