Cecilia Franzin '24 Recruiting Profile

Tennis club, school and home. My whole life these three places were the only part of my routine. A big part of my year would be centered around these places, meanwhile in summer I would go back and forth between the tennis courts and home. But now, that life has changed.

It was a phone call on the 1st of September that turned my life upside down… quite literally. The admission director of Springdale Preparatory School, Miss Daniele, called me that night saying that the school would offer me a scholarship for the current year. Just five days later I was supposed to start my academic year in Italy, but two weeks later I found myself on a plane directed to Washington.

I have to say that I wasn’t afraid of this change..I took a leap.

I’ve always been an impulsive person, I know what I want and I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it. Tennis has taught me a lot in life, a big part of who I am is thanks to this sport.

All those hours spent on a court under the burning sun taught me how to keep going no matter what, taught me to work hard for my dreams, and most importantly taught me discipline.

I grew up in an environment where if you want something you have to work for it, you have to deserve it. Nothing was gifted to me and I'm grateful to my parents for raising me that way. There are many people to whom I owe a lot because of what they taught me.  One of these is my first tennis coach, Davide. I’m serious when I say that I’ve always been afraid of him. He trained me for the first 8 years of my tennis career. He would push me over the limits and push me towards new goals, and sometimes he’s probably gone too far. All this obstinacy has really taught me a lot, and I think this is also why I matured as a person before my peers. But he made me go through moments that were perhaps a little too harsh for a simple little girl. I can still remember a particular practice.. It was a very hot day in July. Me and my sister were having lunch at my tennis club when Davide passed by and heard me saying a bad word while joking with my sister. He got so mad that he forced me to train for a whole hour alone with him barefoot on a clay court. Therefore I had to learn discipline the hard way.

My father isn’t an easy person either. I’m not saying that he’s a bad man, he’s just a tough one, he doesn't show any emotions, his heart is the coldest i’ve ever met and sometimes his words are like knives. But he taught me how to keep on going in life and how to not be influenced by others. When I was a child I never understood why he was behaving like that and wished for a “normal” dad, that would show me love and support me, but instead I’ve always felt like I just keep on letting him down. Being on my own now made me realize that without his teachings I wouldn’t be as strong and independent as I am right now. I am very grateful for everything that he has taught me, and even though our relationship doesn’t seem like the best, I still know that he’ll always be there for me.

I feel like as a person I don’t need to rely on anyone but myself, although through difficult moments I know I can always reach out to my family.