Karishma Bhalla '22 Recruiting Profile

Tennis Accolades

1. 2021 - Finished 6th in the Illinois High School Association State Tournament (161 Schools)
2. 2021 Illinois Sectionals Singles Champion
3. 2021 Illinois NLCC Conference Team Champions
4. 2021 Illinois NLCC Conference 1st Singles Champion
5. UTR (6.41 Highest)
6. Varsity Team Captain
7. High School Team Singles #1 Varsity tennis player since Freshman year
8. State of Illinois Competition:
9. Freshman – Ranked in the top 16; 
10. Sophomore – Ranked in the Top 12;
11. Junior – No State tournament (Covid)
12. Most Valuable Player (MVP) award – 2021, 2019 & 2018

Athletic Aspirations

As the first Indian American in my family, playing competitive tennis, my collegiate aspirations, as a member of your women's college tennis team, is to earn the respect of my coaches and teammates and pursue opportunities to win college titles. Tennis continues to provide me with the opportunity to make friends and build relationships, as well as be a part of a team that shares the same goals of hard work, being supportive and competitive. I have been playing recreational tennis since I was six years old and started competing in USTA Junior tournaments by the age of ten. My hard work and dedication to this sport have also led to the accomplishments listed above.

Academic Aspirations

I am interested in pre-med with the aspirations of being a doctor in sports medicine. The coaching I have received as a tennis player has made me appreciate the importance of fitness, health, and conditioning and I aspire to share this knowledge through my profession. While I understand that this task is challenging, I have been preparing for it academically with the following achievements:         

1. Currently have a 4.3 GPA (out of 4.00)
2. Successfully complete 11 AP Courses (upon Graduation)
3. Co-President of the National Honor Society
4. Spanish Honors Society
5. Student Council
6. Nominated out of 1053 students to attend the Northern Lake County Conference (NLCC) Leadership conference

Extracurricular Activities

When I am not playing tennis (high school, USTA, ITA) or studying, I stay busy by committing to activities outside of school including:

1. President of the Second Serve Illinois Chapter, a non-profit organization focused on bringing tennis to the under privileged
2. Tutor children in math and reading at the local Kumon center
3. Volunteer at Beacon House, a neighborhood community center that prioritizes kids' academic growth,
4. Coach tennis to kids at a country club

Personality

Hard work and passion are of utmost importance to me, and I promise the coaches, staff, and teammates that you will always receive 100% from me day in and day out. My personality revolves around being humble, supportive, and hard-working, but also extremely competitive. These are traits that I have gained over the years and continue to use them to better myself not only athletically, but academically, as well.

I hope that my drive and passion for tennis combined with my respect for both the team and coaches allows me to be a good candidate for your team and the university. Thank you for taking the time to review my personal statement, and I appreciate the opportunity to connect with you!