Isabella Thornburg '23 Recruiting Profile

[Please see my Instagram Account: @b.tburg2023 and my Twitter Account: @BellaThornburg for additional video clips]

One of my earliest baby pictures was of me holding a small, stuffed basketball - happily playing with it and completely unaware of the influence this sport would have on my life. As my parents nurtured and raised me, not only did my mom provide me with a solid foundation of faith, servant leadership, responsibility and discipline, she also instilled in me an absolute love for this game. I am not a “natural” athlete with the speed of a gazelle. Instead, I am strong, the hardest worker, an intense defender,  an Olympic weightlifter, the first to enter the gym for practice, the last to leave, and extremely coachable. I earned the “Heart” award this year for continuously working on my game and “showing up” every day. I am a leader, I am a mentor for younger players, I am a supporter - helping my teammates through a tough game, and I am the hype woman both on the floor and when off the court on the sideline. I am preparing for an incredible senior year, both athletically and academically.

I am engaged and “all in” - with both academics and athletics. I value my education and have worked hard to earn a 4.130 GPA and my current position of 7th in my class. I am a student in the CCP program at Bowling Green State University, and was enrolled in all honors high school classes and excelled, even during my sports seasons. I aspire to work in Sports Medicine, helping athletes safely navigate training, competition, injuries, and the psychological insecurities that arise with the pressures of this game. I want to be on a team that values both athletics and academics, and will give me the opportunity to grow not only as an athlete, but also as a scholar and a budding professional ready to enter the workforce. I want to be inspired and motivated by my collegiate teammates and I want to both inspire and motivate them as well. I am not done with this game, and this game is not done with me. I am seeking my next academic and athletic “home”. A place where hard work, leadership, discipline and “heart” are valued and reciprocated. This is my dream, and I will continue to work hard to see it through. Thank you for taking the time to read my personal statement!