Samantha Withers '19 Recruiting Profile

I began my varsity career in XC as a sixth grader (at the time, Louisiana allowed that at small schools) as a way of staying in shape for my club soccer team. I won the first of my 19 state championships in the eighth grade on the track. Now, as a three sport varsity athlete and captain of both my XC and track teams, I have led those teams to a combined 7 state championships and demonstrated the toughness and leadership skills that colleges are looking for.

My school, Episcopal School of Acadiana (ESA), has been named the #1 private school in Louisiana due to, among other things, its rigorous course load. I currently have a 4.02 weighted GPA and have taken 5 AP courses and 9 honors courses. ESA has taught me to "stay in the struggle" which is something that has shaped me both academically and athletically.

I am a leader both on and off the course. I have been president of my class for 2 years, and do a lot of volunteer work including tutoring middle school students, helping coach soccer and running clinics, babysitting to raise money for my class, and volunteering to pass out water at local marathons. One of the things I'm proudest of, however, is that I led in the creation of a STEM club for third, fourth, and fifth grade girls, which is designed to encourage them to pursue careers in STEM.