Personal Statement
When I think of college I think of it as the next step in the right direction for the rest of my life. I would love to attend a college that not only provides me with 4 more years to play the sport I love but to help me further my education to prepare me for life after college.
Hello, I'm Dakota Fulkerson, I'm 15 years old and a Sophomore at Richwoods High School. I have been playing soccer since I was 5 years old, and I started playing travel soccer when I was about 7 or 8 years old. When I first started playing I fell in love with the game and was a natural. I wouldn't have been able to play or play travel without all my coaches and of course my mom for being there for me and supporting me through all these years of soccer. I can't even begin to explain how much I love the game and how much it means to me, without soccer I don't know where I would be. I love playing and training and work just as hard during training as I do during a game. With that my club that was once just a summer team went full time in the fall of 2019. I play for Central Illinois United (CIU) and was beyond excited to be going full time. With my CIU team in the summer of 2019 -when we were just a summer team- we competed in the 2019 US Club Regionals in June and won advancing us to the 2019 US Club Nationals in July in Colorado. At the national tournament I had our teams first goal to kick off the tournament and also the game winning goal to take us to the championship. Unfortunately we lost in the championship game in PK’s but finished 2nd which is still a huge accomplishment. During that summer we also played in the Super Y league and qualified for the Nationals in December in Tampa. During this tournament we made it to the semifinals, losing to the team who would then go on to win the tournament. Not only did I play in 2 national tournaments in 2019 I was also one of the top ten regional players for the Super Y league that year as well. Unfortunately 2020 was a rough year and there was not much if any playing going on, but I am beyond excited to see what this year will bring and what I can accomplish both on and off the field.
Not only am I dedicated on the field, I'm extremely dedicated in the classroom. While in my middle school I maintained over a 3.5 GPA. Grades have and always come first for me because I believe that Academics should come before sports. My education is very important to me so I have always focused on grades before soccer. I set high expectations for myself in school, and work extremely hard to meet those expectations. My goal is to keep above a 3.5 GPA in High school. During my freshman year I maintained my goal and kept over a 3.5 GPA, unfortunately due to COVID-19 I did not finish my freshman year in person, along with my whole first semester of sophomore year being online. Sophomore year so far I have also maintained my goal and ended with a 3.8 GPA first semester. I enjoy going to school and learning new things, but more importantly I will be just as excited to be in a college classroom as I will be on a college pitch.
While I love soccer I also play basketball. With my mom being coach I was around it since I was born and have played for as long as I can remember. During my freshman year I played both JV and Varsity. We finished the season as Co-Conference champions and Regional champions. I am still undecided if I will continue to play or not, COVID-19 also does have an impact on if there will be a season or not. While I am dedicated to soccer and getting better everyday, in my free time I enjoy reading. I am also a member of the youth group at my church, I am a Christian and attend Trinity Lutheran church. My religion is very important to me and extremely present in my life. I love to watch movies with my family. I have a sister who I am a little over 2 years older than, along with a step brother who I am about 10 years older than. Family is one of the most important things to me and I am very grateful that I have a wonderful support system through them. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me with the information provided below. Thank you!
