Neelam Rai '22 Recruiting Profile

Hi, My name is Neelam! I am currently in my 12th year of high school. I attend Southridge School in Surrey B.C, Canada, Which is a university prep school, where all students are dedicated to working hard among the best of the best, in preparation of university. 

I developed a passion for soccer at a young age and as I grew older have come to love the game. I grew up with many of my family members playing soccer, so I was exposed to this amazing sport pretty early on in my life. I have enjoyed this sport from the start because of the problem solving aspect, teamwork and competitiveness  it brings. Soccer has always been a major focus in my life, I learnt about the possibility of playing soccer in post-secondary at a young age and have made it my goal to do so ever since. 

I volunteer in many opportunities around my community. Every year my school goes to the soup kitchen where we feed and donate to people in need. I take as many opportunities as I can to give back to my community.  Such as collecting and donating clothing for the homeless to volunteering at a local events and even helping out in a community garden. I am always eager and look forward to these chances. I am also apart of the service club in my school where we help many different causes and charitable organizations both local and internationally. We create events, spread awareness and do small activities to give back to the community around us. I truly believe that success be it in life or in a sport comes from within and helping others to succeed as well. 

In addition to soccer I keep myself busy with other sports such as basketball, volleyball, as well as weight training  and helping out in my family's farm market. 

The previous few years I have participated in Coach Sara Zaystof’s program, Mint Club Athletics. This program helps to improve both the mental and physical health of an athlete, to better both on and off field game. I also participate in a Speed, agility, cardiovascular conditioning and strength training program at Elevation Fitness called Fierce. This program is designed to help athletes become stronger and faster during their off season. This program especially pushes me since many of the girls are D1 athletes, which makes me work with girls who are older and more experienced than myself. 

I have always been a multi-sport athlete since I was young.  Many of my coaches and teammates have explained my best qualities to be my calmness on the field, my coachability to learn new things, my hard working mindset, as well as my admirable respect and leadership. I am also known as a role model on all teams I have played on, no matter the sport. My character outshines on the field as I am a light-hearted person with a serious purpose. I know how to motivate my teammates and help them stay calm in difficult moments and laugh, but when it comes to being on the field I am focused and always work hard. 

Over the past two years, I have been able to play up on my varsity high school soccer team as a grade 9 and 10. Not only did I make the team, but was a starter both years. I was able to challenge myself and my skills among older girls. 

Not only is soccer an important part of my life but my academics are very important to me as well. I have  gotten a 4.0 GPA since 8th grade and want to continue to push myself to do even better. I am always pushing myself to excel in all my classes. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my personal statement. I hope this helps you learn more about me. I look forward to hearing back from you!

Thanks, Neelam