Izzee Akers '18 Recruiting Profile

As a young girl growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, I considered myself to have a competitive edge. However, I never thought of these competitive qualities I held to be limited to just sports. The same ideals i hold faithful to and the same qualities I desire to reach in my personal life reflect a drive that I show on the field. If I could characterize myself with one word I would choose striving; both on and off the lacrosse field. I strive for excellence, for punctuality, and for greatness. Using my work ethic and my strong determination, I strive to achieve these qualities through every aspect of my life.

My journey into the sport of lacrosse began in seventh grade. I owe all my commitment to the sport to my middle school best friend for convincing me to play for the local rec league, Raleigh Rage. From there, my career started and my life changed as a player and a student. I had to learn how to balance the life of a student and an athlete, while still striving and improving myself towards success in both areas. Going into high school, I knew this would be hard for me because the results impacting my academic life and my athletic career. Through long nights of school work after hard practices, the obstacle of school and lacrosse took me for a ride, but surely I've understood the process of not procrastinating and making every second count. Over time, I learned about myself that no matter what was asked of me, it would get done. Whether it was school deadlines or practicing on the field with my coaches and teammates, I was the one to finish the job and pull through when others couldn't. Because I did find myself in these positions a lot, I learned how to also stand out as a leader. I took the attention of my teammates and stood out on and off the field. On the field I am always the one to be heard, whether yelling to the defensive men regarding opposing attack men positioning, or yelling plays and running the attack I consistently make myself the most vocal player on the field. Off the field, I'm communicating to the girls. I talk about how we can improve our playing as a team and work together as well as encouraging each player.

Continuing my role as a model athlete and student at Leesville Road High School, I wish to leave behind a legacy. First, I would like leave behind a sense of family. Within my community and friends, i stand to be a strong mediator. Connection, strength, and growth of relationships within any sports team is a key aspect that installs a sense of belonging and trust in every member. Next, I wish to leave behind a sense of determination. Being a captain of my high school team gives me the important position of setting an example. By showing my teammates through every practice and every game that working through adversity always produces a positive outcome, I can achieve this sense of determination. I am a firm believer of turning trials into triumphs. Regarding college, my ideal situation would be to major in education and minor in English. I've always wanted to pursue a career in becoming a English teacher. The job appealed to me because knowing that I can influence the lives of kids through education and change the way they look at school and learning has always been a giant love of mine.