Elianne Mahay-Goodrich '17 Recruiting Profile

The college experience is one I am hugely attracted to. Having lived in London, England all my life this experience seemed a million miles away. However, now I can actually envisage this dream becoming a reality.

My passion and goal is to study medicine and eventually become a practising doctor, all whilst simultaneously competing and training in my other passion, track and field. I feel that the American College system suits me perfectly because it allows me to combine the two, improving my education and my sport.

Academically I have excelled in all areas. My grades at GCSE were some of the best in my year group (6 A* and 4 A). I maintain high grades and test scores throughout the year, and have done so consistently throughout my schooling career. I particularly enjoy studying sciences and mathematics, which is why I am studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths at A-Level. In addition, I take great pleasure in learning languages of which I am fluent in English, Hebrew and French. I also enjoy participating in debating society, where I have spoken at the Oxford and Cambridge debates for my school.

In order to encourage the younger students at my high school to love science as much as I do, I became the chairwoman of Science Club where we demonstrate fun and exciting experiments which do not involve much learning. We are growing exponentially and continue to attract a larger number of attendees every week! For prospective medical students at my high school, a co-student and I founded Medical Society, where we frequently invite guest speakers with experience in the medical field to give us short, enjoyable and informative lectures. We also hold discussions and attend lectures at some of the best medical schools in London. As a result, we have developed a committed, like minded group of students with whom we share the same desire for a career in medicine.

Outside of school, I spend some of my spare time volunteering and participating in medical work experience. To date I have had work experience in the North London Hospice, Finchley Memorial Hospital, Magen David Adom ambulance service in Israel and I was also selected for the JUMP ORT mentorship programme. In the summer of 2016, I will be doing a two week medical work experience/volunteering placement in rural Tanzania, Africa. I frequently volunteer within my community and I try to dedicate as much time as possible to my school’s affiliated charities.

As I mentioned earlier, my other love is sport. In school I have always been involved in every sport team available. Out of school, I have always been involved in sport at a competitive, high level. The first sport which I was successful in was Shotokan Karate. I began training when I was 6, and after 7 years of hard work and dedication I was awarded my black belt. I also played soccer at a very high level. I was picked up at the age of 11 by Tottenham Hotspur Ladies, and played for them for 3 years. I was also selected to play for Hertfordshire County (State equivalent) for 2 years, where my team won numerous trophies.

After the London Olympics in 2012, a brand new Track and Field facility was built near my house. I decided to go and try out throwing, as I had been told by my high school coach that I had great potential. I immediately fell in love with the sport. The individual aspect to throwing was something I wasn’t entirely used to as I was so accustomed to playing team sports both in and out of school, but ended up being the driving force into my success today. At that time, I was not ready to obligate to throwing as I had huge commitments in soccer.

However, a year later I made the bold move to shift to athletics. I joined Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club and began training for my first competition. The rest is history as they say; I am currently in my third season and I specialise in Shot. Last season I improved my personal best from 10.51 metres to 12.50 metres. I was crowned champion of Hertfordshire and Middlesex Counties, and I was selected to go to English Schools as part of team Hertfordshire. I came 3^rd in the South of England Championships and 11^th in English National Championships. My overall ranking for 2015 was 17^th in the United Kingdom. I was recently named the resident senior thrower in my club (despite only being 17 years old).

I am an extremely dedicated, passionate and devoted person. I think all this is evident in everything I have accomplished over the past few years and I am continuing to grow and improve as a thrower and as a person. Track and field is a great way to put my academic and sporting life in perspective, it teaches me to be focus all my energy into one direction and that is to the top. Although it is very cliché, to get the opportunity to train and study in America would be a lifelong vision come true and I categorically hope it will materialise.