Personal Statement
Tennis has been a significant part of my life since I was 3 years old when I first fell in love with game. I had watched my brother play at age nine. I recall sitting on the side of the court watching, wishing that I could one day play in a tournament. I had practiced tennis alongside my brother in the younger groups, training and learning the skills. For years, I pleaded with my mother to put me in a tournament. Finally, at age seven, my mother signed me up for a tournament; and I felt very excited. Unfortunately, I lost my first match at 8-0 and wanted to never play the sport again.
My parents talked to me after the match, telling me that losing doesn’t mean I am terrible at the sport. Instead the loss meant that I have to view it as motivation to train and continue to improve my skills. In the same tournament, I had a second match and lost again. But I left with my head high ready to work on my skills. When I won my first match for the first time, I knew that my parents were right. Because I had lost my first matches, those results do not mean that I am a terrible tennis player. The losses only meant that I had to continually improve my skills. This advice can be applied to all aspects of life.
I have been in the top 100 Nor Cal juniors for three years. I was the number one varsity player on two different high school teams in Division I and II for three years, receiving my varsity letters from both high schools. I have also received Most Valuable Player for two years. In different years, I placed third and second in the high school tennis league playoffs. In 2018, I decided to take my tennis skills to the next level and have played in Intercollegiate Tennis Association tournaments at multiple universities in northern California. During the summer, I traveled to the USTA National Center in Florida to learn from USTA coaches. My skills and overall tennis game have improved; other parents always tell me that my game is great and to continue working hard.
The dedication that I have placed into tennis has helped me in the class room. I am an honor student taking calculus, physics, and chemistry classes at a nearby community college. I am ranked in the top 10% of my class academically. I have enjoyed taking college classes and interacting with my teachers. My career goals are to help children with neurological issues.
I have helped coaches teach younger children the game of tennis. I love their smiles when they are able to hit a forehand and the ball goes over the net. Their joys are contagious. I have volunteered my time giving art classes for small children. We had a lot of fun painting our clothes instead of the picture; but eventually the pictures were completed. The parents smiled and were happy to get the pictures and children.
I have been given the chance to help animal rescue shelters and learn about veterinary services. Some of the animals were rescued from possible death in other countries. The care and love that were given to the animals helped with their adoption; and with these adoptions, we have reduced the number of stray animals in the world.
My wish is to continue playing elite tennis at the highest level and receive a world class education, achieving my career goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon after my tennis career is over. I have been able to use tennis as a way to become a more vocal leader in my classes and in my community. I want to continue my growth in leadership in college and be an asset to my tennis team.
