Personal Statement
From a young age, I have had an immense passion for soccer. Growing up in a international gated community in Saudi Arabia, I have been lucky to be afforded many opportunities, the most valuable being able to forge relationships with people from all other world and a cultivate an international mindset inspired by those around me. However, in terms of sports, I have lacked opportunities to interact with soccer scouts and clubs; hindering my ability to progress and evolve as a player. Provided I was given the opportunity to combine partaking in the soccer program whilst studying with you, my unique upbringing in a diverse setting, paired with my drive to succeed both academically and athletically would make me a valuable asset to any team.
Some of the key characteristics that I possess on the field is my ability to maintain a positive outlook, stay grounded and initiate a sense of camaraderie with other players; whether I have been playing with them for one day, or years. I attribute these qualities to my success in both in-school and international tournaments.
Being a part of the school's soccer team for 6 years, my character and focus on and off the field, as well as my dedication to the game has been commended by me serving as captain for the past 4 years at both the U16 and U19 level. In my first year as captain, we placed in the top three for the first time in the school’s history, and winning gold the following year. We achieved this result through countless hours of practice, collaboration and communication. This was a pivotal moment in my soccer journey; validating my talent at taking on a leadership role, but also in encouraging the best in all my fellow players, working together as a team. Additionally, I have won various individual awards, such as most valuable player, and twice winning the player’s choice award. Outside of school, I have exemplified these traits further. I have sought to challenge myself and those around me by organizing games with adult teams within the community, and we have gradually become a team to watch out for. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone is something I pride myself in doing often, and I take every game whether against other schools or adults in the community as a learning experience, learning from my peers in the process.
Outside of soccer, I have gained the quality of being extremely balanced in terms of time spent playing various sports, academics, and living a healthy life. In academics, I have always prided myself in trying my best and punctuality in submission of work. I received two awards for being an outstanding student in Arabic Language and Literature, for achieving merit grades, speaking to my ability to put maximum effort into all aspects of my life. In my latter 2 years of school, I opted to challenge myself by taking IB SL-equivalent Chemistry and Biology courses. Although it can be difficult at times to understand, especially in conjunction with the large demands of being a student athlete, I have never let my academics fall at the cost of other responsibilities, always aiming to achieve the best outcome I can in everything I do. I also play an important role in the school community as I was selected as a representative for the school’s activities office due to my dedication to various athletic programs, called the Shark Ambassadors. I was part of a team that ran and organized many school activities such as assemblies and send offs for the school teams in different sports. I think this sets me apart from other recruits as I understand not only the demands of playing on a team which many do comprehend, but I also understand the amount of work that goes into administrative duties behind the scenes of organizing sporting events, and have gained a profound respect for it.
Looking to the future, I am looking forward to moving on from high school and hopefully into the next phase of academics and my athletic career, and I see no greater reward than to be given the opportunity to do both.
