Lucia Guerrero Suarez de Freitas '20 Recruiting Profile

Basketball made me who I am. This beautiful sport has taught me so many things, such as playing as a team, caring for others, to be patient, to work hard to achieve my dreams, among others. When I was 6 years old, the school enrolled me in ballet classes. The next day, I talked to the principal and asked her to put me in basketball and from that moment on I fell in love with this sport.

Unfortunately, basketball in Peru is unprofessional, and now we can’t even play international tournaments representing our country because of a Peruvian Federation issue. Last year, the Pan American Games were held in Lima and we couldn’t participate because we’re suspended by FIBA. When I was 13, it was announced that the Pan Americans would be held in Lima, so I told my mom I was going to be on the national team, and she told me it would be nice, but I was only going to be 18. But I made it, I was already in the national team, but we still couldn’t participate. This is why I want to go and play in the USA and give my best, so I can show that basketball is important and that this problem must be solved. Also, I want to learn a lot and then bring the knowledge to Peru to improve the national level.

Finally, I am looking for a school that could support me as a full-time student-athlete. Here in Peru, it is impossible to practice basketball competitively as well as pursue a career at the same time, because colleges here are not flexible with the commitment required by a high-performance athlete.