Macey Manni '22 Recruiting Profile

Hi I am Macey Manni I love swimming and why I love it so much is because the determination it gives you the self discipline and the hard work.

Personal statement v

I  walked through the fields while I picked “my candy”; sour grass, wild strawberries, blackberries, and even these little yellow flowers that tasted like the sweet flavor of freedom. Hearing my dogs rustling through the woods, rolling in the mud, was my escape from reality.

 Everyone knew everyone in my small town in  Alabama, but I always felt lonely. Which caused me to matured at a young age. Mother told me: “Never follow the herd.” Not my biological mother, my stepmom. I refer to her now as mom. My biological mother left when I was 3. She had various psychological and addiction struggles that led me to question my identity early in life. My brain started understanding life in a way that other kids couldn't. Even though I was struggling academically. School was never easy for me and maybe never will be. I was learning slower than other kids. The teachers, my dad, my classmates all noticed it and I hated it. Eventually, I got diagnosed with Dyslexia. In those times of need, my Dad became my rock.

My Dad eventually married my stepmom, later on, we had to move from Alabama to Chile because of her job. In a new environment.

My school Nido became my new community, the escape from my past, the opportunity to start over, to reinvent, to start a life evaluation. I left my old self behind, not having to deal with that guilt or dread of all my horrid memories from Alabama.  I began to radiate positivity in my classes and did not engage with this kind of high school ideals of criticizing or getting down on others. I am not ashamed anymore to ask questions, to show others my creative work, and to be the first one to ask for clarification.  I love discussions and discussion-based learning because I feel joy when I share my views and opinions.

I used to believe the whole world was the same. However, when I came to Chile I realized that the world has such a huge range of diversity; it opened my mind to the possibility of being myself. I’m excited to see what opportunities are at university, as it’s another new beginning.  

In university, I will keep wearing my personality on my sleeve not just mentally but designing and renewing clothing, continuing to explore and reinvent myself.  I will continue to be out, proud, be an advocate, a designer, and an innovator. Continuing to design my life. I will make myself known, not fade into the background.  I will grow as a human being to become content and make my dreams a reality to help the planet, for being an advocate for those who don’t have a voice.  I have experienced life’s imperfections, ugliness, and yet also beauty.

Life isn’t a fairytale. One must adapt to become content. Listening to the sounds of one’s passions and turbulent emotions, feelings that make the eyes glisten and the heartbeat fast, will reveal the true authentic self.