Pearce Hess '24 Recruiting Profile

I am a basketball player from Tacoma, Washington. Born into a family with 2 siblings, I faced an early setback when my father passed away from cancer when I was just seven months old. I spent the first three years of my life with a co-parenting foster family that loved basketball, which helped ignite my own passion for the sport. After a widely publicized kidnapping occurred on our street, my mother set in motion plans to relocate us for safety and better educational opportunities. In 2010, those plans were completed when we moved to a small city north of Seattle.

In sixth grade, I started participating on my school's soccer, basketball, and track & field teams and practicing basketball under the guidance of a passionate coach. Despite having only parent-coaches, I began to excel in sports in high school. By 10th grade, I was named WIAA Athlete of the Week and won the state championship for the 400m race in track and field. My specialty in basketball is rebounding; in one game my rebounds totaled 22 points. 

It was during the 2023 basketball season that I realized my strong interest to pursue basketball at the collegiate level. However, I am keeping my options open by also exploring opportunities in track and field. I am committed to refining my skills and reaching my full potential on and off the court.  I am confident that I can make significant progress under the guidance of a skilled coach who is passionate about his players' development as both athletes and model students.

From a young age, I have understood the importance of academic excellence, thanks to the guidance of my mother. This has been reflected in my consistently high grades throughout my school years, earning me various accolades, including the President's Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence and an invitation to join the National Honor Society. I currently maintain a GPA of 3.8 and recently completed an accelerated pre-calculus course during the summer of 2022 at my local community college, earning an "A" in the class. My academic success is a testament to my diligent work ethic and commitment to excellence.

Lastly, I am deeply committed to serving my community. I have done so primarily through my involvement in church activities, which include summer tasks such as regular lawn care and manual labor for my mature church members. Additionally, for nine years, I contributed to the care of my maternal grandmother, who lived with us after she was diagnosed with dementia. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2020 due to COVID-19.

 Through these experiences, I have developed a strong sense of compassion and empathy, which I hope to bring with me into my future career as a medical professional.  Pursuing this path is a fundamental part of my values and aspirations, and I am excited about the opportunities that lay ahead to make a meaningful difference in the lives of my siblings and others.