Finley Charapata '23 Recruiting Profile

I have given this personal statement a lot of thought, and I have arrived at the conclusion that what sets me apart is the fact I am still early in my growth and development despite being late in entering the process to start writing the college chapter in my life.   I spent the first 16 years of my life living in a small town and off the radar (600 kids in my high school).   I worked extremely hard so I could not only compete within my current environment, but always aspired to spread my wings and see what I could do on a larger stage.  I started every game as a Freshman/Sophomore in basketball and volleyball, receiving all conference honors and helping my teams move from losing records in both sports to winning records and regional tournament wins.   I also received the American Legion Award which is given to the most outstanding student in my class for leadership, participation in extracurricular events, community involvement, and character.  Academics are very important to me and I have worked extremely hard to sustain my grade point average (3.8/4.0) while challenging myself with taking advanced courses.  I played on smaller club teams, playing up 2 years which challenged me to grow mentally, physically, and with my skillset.  My dad's job transferred us to a larger community and school of 1700 kids this past summer which I now realize why people say moving in high school is so hard, especially on girls.   With that, the volleyball team competes at the Division 1 level and had 7 Division 1 college commits on the team and two sophomores that are being recruited Division 1.   To say this transition was a challenge is an understatement.   I am extremely proud of the fact that I have embraced the challenge and learned in the process that I can not only compete at this higher level but can stand out as a student, player, teammate, and friend.   I accomplish this by working harder than anyone around me and I also learned that my role as a great teammate is very important.  I was used to being the star, and last year I had to push everyone in practice as a role player, support them on the bench, and make everyone around me better as I await my chance to be on the stage this coming year.    The reward for my efforts is earning a starting spot as an outside hitter on the best club team in the area, FC Elite 17 Navy.  I also earned a starting spot on the high school basketball team and was the leading player on the team.  I have heard my parents use the expression that a plant can outgrow the pot it is planted in, and I have learned over the last year that is true for me.   I am very excited about what my future holds, and I feel being a part of the right college volleyball team is the next critical decision in my life.  I have surrounded myself with incredible friends (many of them are the D1 commits I mentioned earlier) and learned from them how they approach their lives.  I am happy, but will never settle for anything.   I love pushing myself and those around me to be great.   I currently workout at least 6 hours per week and spend another 10 hours per week skills training, all while taking advanced junior classes, traveling the Midwest for club volleyball and AAU basketball.  I could not be happier or having more fun!   I never thought to dream this big, and now I find myself wanting to set bigger dreams and work even harder to make them come true.   My next dream is to play high level college volleyball, and I will do whatever I can to make it come true.   I realize I cannot do it alone, and only ask for you to give me a chance...I promise I will exceed your expectations!