Ethan Meli '22 Recruiting Profile

Throughout my years of playing water polo, I have grown both physically and mentally which has not only helped me with the sport, but also school. It has shaped me into a better team player, and when needed, a leader for my peers, in and out of the pool. My greatest accomplishment so far has been achieving gold at the 2019 Junior Olympics. Since I had played high school water polo prior to this Junior Olympics, because of how young I am for my grade level, many of my teammates were in middle school at the time. This grade level difference, although I was younger than many of my teammates, made an extreme impact on my teammates, for they saw me as a leader because of my experience. Another amazing goal I have accomplished was being invited by the Varsity team for my high school to play in the CIF playoffs. This ultimately lead me to my leadership role on my club team, and my spot on the Varsity roster my sophomore year. My goals for college are to be able to play in a division 3 school, where I can not only improve my water polo game, as well as my academics. My parents have played a huge role in my water polo and school life, and have especially pushed me to do my best in school. Their support has led me to be enrolled in the honors program, and for the most part, achieve straight A's with the exception of a couple of B's in all honors or AP classes. My greatest academic goal as of now has been achieving a 4.3 GPA in the first semester of my sophomore year, however, I believe that it can still be improved. My goal by the end of my junior year is to either maintain above a 4.0 but I would like to aim for a 4.3. My parents have pushed me and supported me in several aspects of my life, with sports, academics, and even hobbies. When I was younger they had force piano lessons upon my brother and I, which neither of us enjoyed. However, as we steered away from lessons, I was able to teach myself how to play certain songs, and I often find myself practicing for at least 30 minutes a day. None of my goals would have been achieved, however, if I could not manage my time properly. If there is one thing that water polo has taught me and will stick with me forever is how to manage my time. I believe I wouldn't have come as far as I have if it hadn't been for my ability to time manage. All in all, I believe my capabilities in the pool, the classroom, and the studio make me a perfect fit for your school.