Delicia Chen '21 Recruiting Profile

"You're going to IMSA? Oh..."

With every good race, team victory, pasta party, or grueling track workout of the season, this disappointed reaction from my freshman-year coaches and teammates never failed to serve as a painful reminder that these moments were bittersweet. And I'll admit - I was worried. I was worried of the impact that IMSA, known for its rigorous, stressful, competitive, and (perhaps most famously) sleep-depriving environment, would have on my athletic career. I was worried to have to live so far from what I had known as my home for my whole life, away from my family. I was worried of leaving everything behind, my friends, my coaches, my teammates, for a place so unfamiliar and unforgiving. My parents put no pressure on me to attend. However, I wanted to go somewhere where I really had to prove myself to get the results I wanted, and I knew I would never forgive myself for passing up on a challenge, an opportunity, such as this. 

I believe my balance between my athletics and academics makes me stand out among other recruits. Consistently ranked one of the top academic high schools in the nation, IMSA requires its students to dedicate a significant amount of time and effort into their studies to succeed with its rigorous curriculum.  While many students who attend IMSA give up their athletic careers to focus on academics, I knew I wanted to balance my studies with my love for running competitively. The transition wasn't easy; I went from being a part of a State Champion Cross Country and Track team to a team that hadn't sent a female runner to state in either sport for years. However, coming to IMSA has taught me not only to take responsibility and initiative in my own training, but that of my teammates as well. And while we may not be a state-champion-bound team, the program is currently the strongest it's ever been in school history. I hope to continue pursuing my academic as well as athletic goals in college, and I am looking for a program that will challenge me in both aspects.