Justin Shern '27 Recruiting Profile

Both of my parents are school teachers and they have also instilled the importance of working hard as a foundation in life. Being hard working is important because no matter what your skill set is, if you set your mind to something and work hard at it, you can accomplish anything. With hard work, I have found success with my studies and my athletics achieving my personal best. I enjoy learning and take my time to put a lot of effort into my work. When I’m working on a project or learning a new concept, I really enjoy taking the time needed to truly learn the information. My favorite quote is, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” I use a Growth Mindset every day and love to work hard. 

A huge part of who I am is being an athlete. I started playing soccer, basketball, and baseball as early as Kindergarten. I enjoy participating in high school soccer, cross country, and track with my teammates regardless of the results. I always push myself to do my best and encourage my teammates so we can get our best results while still having fun. I particularly love soccer because it is tactical and physically challenging. I love being able to use my brain, my speed, and my strength on the field and I also love the fast, constant pace of the game. I enjoy focusing on my high school sports as well as working with my coaches and my teammates and building new friendships.

Through playing sports, I have discovered an internal strength and character, that I am proud of. I am a good teammate, who would rather see my team succeed than getting the glory for myself. I have an exceptional level of stamina that is the highest among my peer group.

I also enjoy making strong connections with my teachers and classmates. Taking part in extracurricular activities is very important to me. I participated in math club throughout middle school, was a member of the Mathletes competitive team, and helped start a Sports Club at school where students had a fun and safe place to play various sports during lunch throughout the year. At Redwood I'm a member of Surfrider Club that coordinates ocean issues awareness outreach and Recycle for Haiti club that has donated over $24,000 to help children in Haiti and helps students learn English. I am a clear communicator, motivated learner, engaged citizen, and friend to all. I enjoy giving back to my community and look for opportunities to be helpful.

My academic goals are to learn as much information as I can during high school, evidenced by high grades and good teacher recommendations. I am advanced one grade in math and I really like learning math and science. I'm also a member of the Leadership Program.  This class meets during 0 period before school and I enjoy making Redwood a better community by organizing fun events like Spikeball tournaments at lunch, performing at school wide assemblies for spirit days, and being a true ambassador for all students.

I would say that I am able to get along with everybody. I build other people up by being upbeat, kind, and humble. I would say I am uniquely nice. I am most proud of that, because I am also fiercely competitive, but not at the expense of friendships. I value my coaches and teammates, and work to build the best possible outcome. 

My goal is to attend a top-tier university where I can play soccer and study and enjoy all of the activities the school has to offer. I am looking forward to going to a 'big spirited school' and having a great time while shaping my future as a leader in the community.