Personal Statement: Pursuing A Volleyball Career

Choosing which college to go to was the hardest decision that I have had to make in my life. I had the choice of going to school where I was going to know many of my high school classmates, or where I wasn’t going to know a single person. I wanted a fresh start, and choosing a school where no one knows me gives me an opportunity to meet new people. After graduation, I will be attending the University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the fall to further my education and volleyball career. I want to begin majoring in orthopedic surgery or to become a physician’s assistant. I chose this career path because of the adversity I have been through in the past four years. With back to back ACL tears my freshman and sophomore year, and an ankle surgery

They have shaped me to become the person I am today. That is a big reason why I give back to the community so much with my community service hours. I have grown up playing sports, so for the past four years I have helped coach middle school volleyball players. It is a great feeling to know that these girls look up to me, and have watched me play, so they try their hardest to get better so that they can one day be the great player that they think I am. I also help work at the youth volleyball and basketball tournaments. During these past two years I have been the water girl for the Altoona High School Football Team. For the past three years, I have volunteered at the Red-Cross Blood Drive hosted at our school. Students, teachers, and people from the community come in and donate blood all day long. Our school participates in a "Time to Share" shopping where we buy gifts for kids in our school that normally wouldn't get any. I have participated with this the past three years, and it feels really good to do something helpful for those who need it. The past two years I have went with my National Honor Society to the local nursing home to set up a dance for them. We talk with them about their life, and dance with them when the music comes on. It is so fun to see how happy they get when they get to spend time with us. I have volunteered multiple times at the local food bank to help local families get the food that they need. This year I recently began what our school calls the "Math Lab" where higher math class students tutor lower class math students when they need