Personal Statement
I started playing volleyball in fifth grade in India. It was very different from the air-conditioned gyms here as we played outside in the blazing sun on the ground but it was where my love for volleyball grew. I spent my middle school years there bringing the title of the best volleyball team in the city to our school. I helped create my team's legacy of winning 4 State Championships and 3 Nationals consecutively. In 2017 I was chosen to represent India at the Under 17 FISEC Italy games. The FISEC games exposed me to a very diverse environment and it was a privilege to be able to compete and learn from the older players about their journeys and aspirations. It was an eye-opening experience and I was hopeful about the possibility of continuing volleyball in my later school years and playing at a higher level. Unfortunately, a couple of months later I got into a car accident while traveling to a volleyball tournament and sustained injuries to my right shoulder and ankle. I spent the next six months going to physical therapy and craving to recover faster to play again. The quote “absence makes the heart fonder” perfectly explains my situation and it helped me see that persistence is the only way I can keep volleyball as a choice for me. In 2018, before I could fully recover, I was presented an opportunity to move to Texas - a place where I could pursue a further education alongside having volleyball as an option - and I took it. My school volleyball tryout was the first place I went to after arriving at our house here and since then I have crossed the social differences and grown immensely. I went from being in our school's lowest team to the Varsity team. Additionally, even in club, I was able to go from sitting on the bench to being a starter on the team. Despite all the consistent changes and struggles my love for volleyball never wavered.
I wish to play volleyball in college because simply put I just love the game and am not ready to stop. Hence, I am also open to joining a team as a walkon. I am a disciplined, goal-oriented person in all aspects of my life and I always give all my efforts regardless of whether I am on the bench or the court. I wish to attend a D1 or D3 college with a team-oriented volleyball program alongside high academic courses and opportunities to gain research and hands-on experience. I want to pursue a biology major that will help me in my long-term goal of pursuing a career in pediatric oncology. I want to pursue this as I love interacting with children and after losing a close one to cancer I witnessed the sudden downward spiral and the loss of control we all felt. I want to be a doctor so that I can help my young patients regain control over their lives. Hence I want to attend a college that can give me the best of both worlds.
