Personal Statement
My name is Evan Holmberg and I am seeking collegiate swimming and academic experiences that will challenge me to realize my potential. I am often recognized for my maturity, work ethic, and interpersonal skills and will confidently bring these with me to my college swim team and campus. I look forward to making significant contributions to my collegiate team in terms of my swimming and leadership skills. I believe that success as a collegiate student-athlete, and all the skills this entails, will help prepare me for my eventual career.
Swimming: I am currently 15 years old and have been swimming competitively for just 4 years with the Plymouth Canton Cruisers. As a freshman swimmer for Plymouth High School 2019-2020 I was honored to be the first swimmer in the team’s history to receive both Rookie of the Year and MVP. Somewhat frustrating to me at times is the fact that I have fewer years of experience than most other high level swimmers. However, I have progressed quickly and attribute this to my physique (6-2, 155 lbs), a work ethic that is revered by my high school coaches and teammates, and my coachability. Chasing down more experienced swimmers has helped me develop into the passionate, driven swimmer that I am today. One of the biggest takeaways from my freshman year was learning how to push through pain and discomfort during practice as well as mental fatigue during the school day after morning practice. I now confidently carry these skills with me into other challenging swim and life experiences.
Academics: I have always been a strong student; not because I’ve been pushed to get good grades, but because learning comes naturally to me and I actually like to learn. Starting as early as elementary school I have earned percentile ranks in the mid-to-high 90s on all standardized tests. On my 8th grade PSAT I earned a score of 1340 out of 1440, placing me at the 99th percentile in the nation. While earning good grades, I have also been recognized for my character and leadership skills. I was my middle school swim team captain, worked at my school’s chapter of the local credit union, and was given my school’s "Legacy Award" for being an exemplary student with good character. As a freshman I was accepted into the International Academy at my school and was on the honor roll all year.
Career: I love swimming and believe that being a collegiate athlete will help prepare me for the challenges of the corporate world after college. I am still young and am not ready to declare a college major or career, however, from a young age all of my career interests have centered around being able to better humanity on either a large or small scale whether that be through diplomacy, law, psychology, or astrophysics.