Jason Gould '23 Recruiting Profile

I am extremely competitive. I want to be the best at everything I do.

A great athlete works hard, but also has a strategy and a plan. Successful competitive racing combines strong physical and mental preparation and a well-executed strategy. I do not just train physically, I plan my races by examining the course, studying my competition, and strategizing ahead of the race.

I have been running since I was in 5th grade, and I wanted to be better and faster every year. I worked hard, created daily workouts, and learned that small adjustments in strategy can often yield meaningful improvements. I was able to achieve my goals and became progressively faster with each race. I won a silver medal in the City of Chicago's 8th grader race and was recruited by the Windy City Hammers, a USA Track and Field (USATF) team. I have since been a part of USATF and qualified for the National Meet in 2018 in Reno, NV. I try to participate in as many races as I can to continue my learning and to advance my racing skills. I ran the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago in 2019 and came in 4th in my age group. In the Race to Wrigley, I came in 1st in my age group and 14th overall at the age of 15. I also raced in Seaway 5K race in July 2019 in Michigan and came first in my age group at the age of 15. I believe that I can measurably add to the success of a college running team, both in cross country and track events.

I bring my competitive nature to other areas of my life as well. I want to be an entrepreneur and a businessperson. I study business and economics at my high school, and it is my favorite subject. I intend to continue to study it in college. I try to apply entrepreneurial thinking to everything I do. While in middle school I started and ran my own small business. I made money, which I invested in various stocks, while I was in the 7th and 8th grades. I also had summer jobs, the proceeds of which I continued to invest and by the time I was 16, I had earned enough money to buy my own car.

I also like to do creative things. I did a lot of acting as a child and have film and theater credits. I would like to continue to act as it is a fantastic way to express myself. My acting experience means that I am not afraid of speaking in front of a crowd and this is a distinct advantage in many settings. I believe that life rewards those who are able to take themselves out of their comfort zones and try new things.