Gillian Gash '17 Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

I was born into a world where you give everything you are capable of to those you love, even if it separates you from others. I was taught to give everything I had academically, personally, and athletically.  I believe I have inherited this ability to put an immense amount of effort into the things that I care most about. I had a hard time growing up. I told myself to grow as the person that I am, and not succumb to what others wanted me to be. The negative side to this was that I was ostracized for the way I looked, for the way I hyperactively acted, and for the way I always chose extracurricular activities over normal teenage shenanigans. I had a hard time trying to find what made me happy, and when I was able to find something, I excelled at it. I excel in athletics, theatre, academics, community service and making others feel good about themselves; but that wasn’t all. The biggest thing I have discovered about myself is my absolute love for helping people. I have always lent a hand to those in need. Whether it is helping a friend that struggles with alcohol or a girl that struggles with a terrible past, I will always be there with open arms. I have never cared about self-image, being a ‘cool’ kid or being the girl with the most Instagram followers; however, I have always been the girl that stands up for the underdog. I have spent my high school career teaching kids with special needs how to play soccer at our annual Special Olympics, planning the life-skills prom for special needs students in my district, and putting on charity events at my school to raise money for underprivileged students; however, I am not finished. I have the ambition to continue helping others and I believe that this is what sets me apart from other applicants. My ability, ambition, and determination to make a difference in the world is who I really am.  I probably should have spent my time in this statement talking about what a tremendous athlete and student I am, but you can see that in my numbers, stats and gpa. The information I have chosen to write about is why I am an asset to your university's track team.