Ben Nast '19 Recruiting Profile

I have faced challenges in my life. These challenges were not forced upon me, but instead, were created by me.  To push myself to be above the majority is what I work towards, and I purposely put roadblocks in my life so that I can learn and ultimately grow from them.  The obstacles that I set for myself help push me to do better in all aspects of my life. Because of this, I have learned to love challenges. One challenge that I have set for myself involves soccer. For most soccer players, soccer is just fun to watch on tv and an exciting sport to play where players work together to score goals. And while this is true, I would not be on the team that I am if had the same mentality. I have played soccer for as long as I can remember, and I do not remember a time when soccer was not a huge part of my life. Because I choose not to be average, I push myself on and off the soccer field to do better. I do double practices, extra workouts outside of training, and keep a strict diet so that I can stay healthy and strong. Because of my drive, dedication, and need to push myself, my Coaches describe me as hardworking, coachable, smart, honest, athletic, kind, and focused. While I am proud to be a high-level soccer player, this is not the only obstacle that I have set for myself. My biggest obstacle, I believe, is my difficult balance of athletics and academics. Currently, I am taking classes at my high school and at my local community college as well as playing on a Development Academy soccer team. The balance I have forced upon myself has developed me to become who I am, and I am all the better because of it. Academically, with my challenging classes, I have accumulated a 3.6 GPA and a 30 composite ACT score. My goal is to study actuarial science and to continue to play soccer at a high level. By pushing myself in all aspects, (Academically, athletically, and mentally) I believe that I am prepared to take the next big step in my life and achieve my goals.