Mariana Feliciano '21 Recruiting Profile

As a student-athlete I have dreams and goals. One of them is to assist to a University in the States where I can study Business and Hospitality Management.  I want to become a Professional in the Hotel Industry cause my dream would be to own Hotels in my island, Puerto Rico.  During these years I strongly want to combine my Undergraduate studies with playing Volleyball in College, which is the sport that I love above all that I ‘ve played and like.  It is essential for me that this College has an excellent academic program as well as athletic.   I have been working hard just not as a player, but academically, mentally and physically.  My pursuit of happiness would be to become a successful professional in my career, a successful college volleyball player but most of all a better human being for this society.  The sports have given me a lot of satisfactions but also frustrations, discipline, good and bad friends, but most of all and what I appreciate most, it has taught me to work to be better, to play fora team, to learn that in life there is always space to improve no matter how good you are.

Throughout all these years playing different team sports (Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Basketball, Out & Indoor Soccer) I ‘ve learned too many things, but the most crucial has been that is not enough to be a good player, it is not enough either to be an excellent player, is not enough to be the best at all.  I’ve learned much more than that.  As a team player, you have to be a leader, you have to be a team worker, supportive and you have to be an encourager to yourself, but moreover to the team.   I’ve learned to play for the team before playing for myself.  Think first in my teammates so they can look great.  My mother always taught me, give the best for the collective not for yourself.  Of course, it is great to play awesome and to get recognition and awards, but It is greater when all the team looks well, before me looking good.  And the greatest is achieving our goals not just individually but as a team.  This has been challenging for me, because I have strong character and I am very competitive.  But at the same time it has been rewarding as part of my development and growth as an athlete and most of all as a human being.   As someone once said: “Don’t aspire to be the best of the team, aspire to do the best for the team”.  I am ready to be the best student for my College and to do the best for my team.