Jayla Wilson '21 Recruiting Profile

    I am a 5'10" Pin Hitter from East Providence, RI and will graduate in the class of 2021. I started on the Lasalle Academy varsity volleyball team during my sophomore and junior year and the Classical High School volleyball  team during my freshman year. I have four years of club experience, and won third team all state second team all division my sophomore year, and first team all state and first team all division my junior year. Last club season, I played for South County Juniors Volleyball on a 16-1’s team.  We ended the season as the New England Region Volleyball Association’s (NERVA) number on 16’s team. Additionally, I was selected to play for the NERVA HP team, an invaluable experience for me athletically and socially.  

    Ideally, I would like to attend a larger size school with a highly competitive athletic program. I am generally interested in schools on the east coast. Financial assistance is going to be very important to me in the college selection process as my family will have high need. I would like to find a school with an outstanding physical therapy program, where I can find the right balance between classroom and court. 

    Since I was young, it has always been hard for me to step out of my comfort zone, branch out and try new things. I’m not sure if its because I am an only child, or because I was always around older people not kids my own age. I only started breaking out of my shell in seventh grade, when I went to go see my older cousin’s volleyball game. This wasn’t the first game of hers that I went to, but it was the first time I really watched what was going on. I loved watching the bond that the players shared, the way they communicated with each other. After seeing this I knew I wanted to play a team sport, I knew it wouldn’t be easy for me, but I wanted the opportunity to step out of my bubble and make new friends. My mom started off by signing me up for specified skills clinics, eventually I started to do club, and made a team. On my first club team coaches would always have to tell me to “be louder” or to “talk more”, if they even knew the half of it they would know that was my version of being loud. It took me a long time to realize that people would not judge me for talking on the court, and finally I just let myself go. My goal is to never hear coaches or teammates say that they cannot hear me. This experience showed me that I get in my own way most of the time, and that all it takes is a little bit of courage to get over my fear and anxieties. 

    At this point in highschool,  I’m trying to challenge myself to not only become a better student, but become a better friend, and person in general. My friends say  I am uniquely empathetic, that they can confide in me, and trust my judgment and ability to help them if I can. I am taking courses that will help me with the field I choose to study in, and classes that truly interest me. I have started to develop an interest in health sciences, but I continue to explore different areas of study.  I am joining different clubs like, The Environmental Club, The American Sign Language Club, and the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Leadership Training for Student Athletes, which I never would have even thought to join during my freshman year.