Brianna Pertak '16 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Brianna Pertak and I am beginning my senior year at Harrison High School in Harrison, NY. I run cross country, indoor and outdoor track. I am also a dancer and a majorette, but my true love is distance running. Near the end of the 2015 spring track season, I decided that I want to run in college. I have trained very hard over the summer, on my own and with a coach. As co-captain of my cross country team, I am excited to see how I perform in my senior year and I look forward to posting my results. I hope you will consider me for your team as I know that my best running is in front of me. I decided that I want to run in college because I know that I have a lot to offer a team and a team has a lot to offer me. I love racing, making friends and building a tight family among team members. Even though my role on my team has been to build camaraderie, I have also been awarded the "Competitive Spirit" award by my past captains. My personality is low key and I calmly motivate others during practice. I encourage others to work hard by setting a good example, attacking every hill and doing my best to run up in the pack with the boys. During races, I tend to surprise people with my effort, motivation and ability to pull ahead of others. This trait is especially noticed on difficult hills and anywhere close to a finish line. I've never met a finish line that I didn't love! My college racing aspiration is to reach post season championships by my junior year at the latest. I know to accomplish that goal, I will need to train and race harder and faster than I ever have before. To train my mind, I have trained my body to endure pain. I know that when I feel pain beyond belief, I am building myself to reach the next level of success. Academically I am pretty strong. I struggled in school all the way through middle school and then figured out what I needed to do to achieve good grades and manage my time. I love to learn and apply my knowledge to everyday life. Memorizing facts does not interest me as much and that is reflected in my big test and standardized test scores. I definitely am unique and different than others. I am both introverted and extroverted. I would describe myself more as an introvert but once I am excited about something, there is no stopping my motivation, dedication and encouragement. I don't know what I want my major to be in college. I am very creative but also love biology and some math classes. I love to dance, swim and do art projects. I love all animals. I own a dog, a cat and a chinchilla. I am a loyal friend and family member. I have an amazing and supportive family. I know that I will figure out my future during college. Please consider me to be on your team. I can't imagine my life without being on a cross country and track team. I love cross country but also see that I have decent speed and enjoy running the 1,500, especially the last 300M of that race. Thank you for taking the time to read my personal statement. My goal of this statement was to have you understand me a bit more. I fit in with the most diverse groups of people. I am accepting and tolerant of others, that is unless I see them in front of me anywhere near a finish line.