Paola Delgado '18 Recruiting Profile

I am from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and I am wholeheartedly committed to attending an excellent academic institution and playing collegiate golf.  The school I attend must value both golf and offer a range of business courses providing preparation to allow me to eventually pursue business ownership.

My father used to be a golfer and when I was six years old he allowed me to accompany him with my junior putter and pitching wedge.  I became so dedicated to the game my father stopped playing and instead became a “golf parent.”  By the time I was seven I was playing in tournaments, began training with 2-pound weights and would run on the family treadmill.  I have worked hard but I have loved the work.  My love for the game and hard work has resulted in my becoming either the first or second ranked player each and every year since I was eleven and this year I was the US-Kids Golf Tour Champion for my age group. I also have the honor of being a member of Puerto Rico’s National Junior Golf Team. 

I love everything about golf – I love the sportsmanship, the commitment, the competition, and the work.  I pride myself on trying to achieve perfection in terms of both play and sportsmanship.  For me, sport provides both physical and mental well-being.  At the golf course I take practice seriously.  I have my own well established rigid routine.  I am a perfectionist.  If I do something wrong, no matter the effort, I will work until I get it right.  Always polite to my opponents, I enjoy the game from the first hole to the last.  Playing is what matters.

The mental and physical wellbeing I obtain from golf blends naturally with my growing love for school and learning.  This past summer I invited to attend Yale’s National Student Leadership Conference and came away with an even greater commitment to becoming as good as a student as I am a golfer.  Ultimately, I want to study business so I may become an entrepreneur.   While my father inspired me to play golf, my maternal grandfather inspired me to become an entrepreneur.  For years my grandfather labored to grow his business and by the time he retired L&M Car Rental had locations in both Puerto Rico and Orlando.  Like golf, I know that my love for school, and my hard work, will result in entrepreneurial success.  While I have always enjoyed school, this past summer at Yale introduced me to an entirely new level of academia which has energized me and I return to school even more excited than in the past.

In preparation for going to college I am a member of the College Club.  The Club’s members work with the counselor to help organize and attend college fairs, work together on preparing our admission applications, designing resumes, and better understanding all which is needed to both enroll and succeed in college.  I recently decided to join the United Nations Club to be able to try something new and to gain more confidence while speaking in public and be able to give out my opinions and solutions to others.

I know my hard work and commitment will allow me to attend an excellent school and play golf at a competitive level.  My love of sport, team growth and hard work will undoubtedly make me a valued contributor.  That is what makes team play so rewarding – to contribute, to inspire, to work and hopefully to win.  To win not only on the field but additionally in the classroom.