Payton O'Donnell '21 Recruiting Profile

I believe being the youngest of four has been the greatest influence of my life. All of my siblings are good athletes and sports has always been a big part our life.  Ever since I can remember, I was being dragged around all over the place to watch my 2 sisters and brother play sports.  

Their successes made me want to follow in their footsteps. Being the youngest, though, I also learned to be tough and fight for things.  Because of that, I’m pretty competitive and self-motivated.  One example of that is when I was 9, I set up cones in my parent’s bedroom and created my own fast feet drills so that I could be good at soccer like my sisters. 

That competitive background has fueled a lot of passion for the game of soccer in me. On the field, I’m fast and athletic, but one of my greatest strengths is my decision making on the attack. I’m also a natural lefty, and the combination of the athleticism, competitiveness, and technical ability is what I believe sets me apart.

Those same traits and work ethic keep me highly motivated academically as well. I work hard in high school and know I will continue to do so in college.  My siblings have set a great example for me when it comes to education.  My dad used to work in the sneaker industry, and I have always liked the idea of bring a product or idea to market. Thus, I’m leaning towards pursuing a future in marketing.