Personal Statement
As I put my court shoes on, I roll my jersey back to my forearms and slip off the small plastic variations of cylinders and cubes that spell out my loved ones’ names. My personal tradition began when I made the decision to wear my sisters’ names on my wrist. Adding on to the arrangement of circulation bounding wristlets, I began to wear close friend’s names on my wrist as well. Now, I simply wear those I love and care about most as a daily reminder for why I do what I do. In the game of volleyball, I cannot wear anything on my wrists, so before a match, I catch a glimpse of the various identifications ornamenting my forearms. As game time rolls around, flashbacks of the numerous patterns replay in my head with one common factor. I care about every name I see. The smack of volleyballs pump my adrenaline, now rushing through my veins. I wait on the bench until my name is called for the starting line up. Similar to a basketball game, the starting lineup will throw something into the crowd to gain spirit. With the sweat towel in my hand, I scan the crowd rapidly looking for a person’s day to make. As the towel is launched from my hand, a sense of joy and sadness rolls over me for a brief second. Deep inside, I knew I made one person’s day but at the same time, someone’s just got slightly worse. My overly caring nature supports a motherlike personality, in turn, leading me to want to take care of children and teens in my future as a career.
At first, I never imagined how much volleyball could impact me. I played the sport for fun and entertainment just so I could say I was athletic. Now, I realize it is an opportunity for me to help people way more than it is a sport for me. Whether providing entertainment for the guys just there for spandex or cheering on the younger girls on the team ensuring their confidence is boosted. The various ways I have found to give back to those I love only grew since day one. In my future, I see myself giving back to the world in many more ways than just one. My personal dream is to be a pediatric doctor due to the fact I love medicine and children. Looking back on my sophomore season, I remember watching all the young girls gather around and cheer for the teams playing because they were pushed into attending games. Despite the fact I was playing, cheering was their favorite thing to do. I knew if I didn’t score a point or play hard, there would be no reason to get excited or celebrate. As for the parents, watching the successes come one by one as a team would act as the medal of honor to assure the time dedicated was well spent.
My interests have caused me to come to reality with myself. I have developed a mindset of always striving to help as many people possible no matter the situation. The caring nature of a doctor inspires me to become even more affectionate than any other. Before I take off the beads strung with elastic, I remember the reason for wearing the cheap cylinders of color. The smiles I get to see from others allows me to know my job has been done. Sharing my love with those I wear on my wrist will forever be one of my favorite things to do.
