Personal Statement
I like to think that golf is essential in my life. I always struggled to find a place where I fit in, and I still do, but when I'm at the golf course, and I'm training or playing a tournament I feel like I belong there, I feel like my place is to be there. I started playing golf when I was nine years old because my dad, who is very passionate about the sport, brought me to the golf course and handed me a club, and I started hitting balls over and over again. Funnily enough, my parents actually met at the golf course where I'm currently playing at so it is a very special place for my family. I have been through some hard stuff during my childhood. I was bullied because I was chubbier than the other kids, and I cried a lot and became extremely shy. However, when I started playing golf and doing something that I really liked and meeting some of the most important people in my life that didn't judge me but accepted me for me, I felt at ease with myself. Now that I've been playing golf for almost eight years, I've learned a lot about myself. I learned that I'm very good at learning and listening. I am very attentive when my coaches talk to me about my technique, and I tend to learn immediately the correct movement that I have to do. I also learn that I'm very determined and persevering. I normally don't get out of the driving range until I manage to do what my coaches have told me. However, I also learned that I'm very doubting about myself. I think that this is something that has stuck with me through childhood because of what I've been through. When I'm in a tournament, I second guess myself too much, and that is something that I'm trying to work on because when I tend to go with my gut, I always do better, and I am stress-free. This is something that I'm working on with my psychologist. Ever since starting this path last year, I have become so much better at trusting my gut, and this is reflected in my results that have dropped from an average of 82 to an average of 78. Golf will always be a priority in my life and something that is very close to me because it helped me develop as a person. When I grip my club and feel it in my hands, and I feel my fingers tightening the grip, I feel complete. I feel at home. There is no better feeling than getting to the 18th hole with a good score and knowing that you pushed hard, and you did your best. Even though golf is significant in my life, I think that it has to be balanced with a good education. I really like learning, and I find it interesting. I think that there is something so fascinating about learning about things that we see in everyday life. It's astonishing to discover how the most used things in life were created through hard work and determination. I want to graduate with a university with a degree, but at the same time, I want to continue playing and have fun with it. Balancing golf and high school is very hard because my school doesn't help athletes very much, so I was struggling for a bit, but I never thought about stopping to play because it's something that I find necessary in my life. I feel like it's where I am the truest version of myself. The IB Learner Profile that they taught me in school helped me be a complete individual. Developing characteristics such as balanced, risk-taker, and principled helped me become able to do different stuff by taking risks and balancing my life to do everything that I have to do. Getting to where I'm at, I had to go through some obstacles. I had to be able to demonstrate to the school that I was able to play all my tournaments and have good grades. I had to demonstrate to my parents that I can balance school life and golf because many times, they told me to quit because it was getting too hard. But most importantly, I had to demonstrate to myself that I can do this and that it is worth it. Everything that I've been through has shaped me in the person that I am today. I think that the losses, not only the wins, have helped me be more determined and want to rise. I also learned what teamwork is and how important it is to be connected together. This is something that I cherish so much. I have found some of the best people through playing in the team, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it because we have experienced so much, both good and bad. We stuck together and worked as a team to find the best way in which we could succeed. Golf is part of me, and it is what has helped me develop characteristics that made me different from others. I'm a great listener, and I'm the glue that keeps the team together. This is something that a lot of people say to me. No matter what, where, or the circumstances, I manage always to keep the team together and push it to be the best and determined. This is what I want to experience playing college golf. I want to be part of a team that shares the passion of the game. I want to work with coaches and experience what is the teaching method outside of Italy and get better at playing. I want to do this while getting a degree and a good education about what interests me and discover new stuff. I want to be able to play golf at a competitive level so that I can challenge myself and accomplish my goals of reaching a higher level of golf but also get an education that will help achieve my dream career.
