Personal Statement
Growing up I tried a lot of different sports, but none of them really stuck. When I was 8 I joined my local club swim team to be with all my friends and quickly fell in love with the sport. I enjoyed having a sport that was challenging yet rewarding, fostered my competitive spirit, and developed my closest friendships.
Swimming has not always come easy to me. I have faced many hardships in my athletic and personal life. When I was in 7th grade, my family experienced a major medical challenge. I focused on swimming to help me through that and in return qualified and competed at the Dolphin Elite Showcase Classic. Currently, in Maine, team swimming has been banned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have continued to train on my own both in the pool and in the gym. It has been challenging at times, but through my friendships, with my teammates, we have been pulling each other through this difficult time.
Along with my commitment to swimming, I am also committed to the Bangor High School STEM Academy. I have competed at the Maine State Science Fair and continue to do research about microplastics in the Penobscot River Watershed. Additionally, I participate in a mission organization called Assist - JC through which I have been on service trips to both Eastport, Maine, and Antigua, Guatemala where I worked with a team to build homes and foster community connections.
All of these experiences have taught me the value of hard work, discipline, and the importance of having a strong community. I bring these values to my team through what I do in and out of the pool. In college, I want to continue to honor these values and work to maximize my swimming skills and compete and the highest level I can all while pursuing academic excellence.