While there are many moments in my life that have shaped me in some way, I can honestly say that my experiences on my high school Track and Field team have had the most impact on me. This does not come as a surprise to those who know me, since I still often refer back to my time on the team. I was a jumper and sprinter, and my special events were the long jump, the 55m and 300m dash, and the 400m run. I got to travel to different states and compete with teams from foreign countries. I met my best friends on this team. It was honestly the best and the wildest of times, and I loved every minute of it. From doing speed drills in the snow to running miles in the pouring rain, it was on this team that I truly got to understand the value of hard work, integrity, trust, respect, leadership and most importantly, teamwork. Track made me a stronger person. Being an athlete could get very frustrating. Better results come slowly and injuries flare up at the worst times, but track taught me the value of patience and perseverance. Being a student-athlete was even more difficult, and it forced me to learn how to manage my time – even if that meant studying between my events. What made my team particularly special was the bond we had, we truly were (and still are) a family. The team’s motto was “not for school, but for life”, and I truly believe that we all took this motto to heart.
I couldn’t have asked for a better high school experience, so naturally I worried that I would not be able to find the same close-knit community at Baruch. However, since starting classes, things have just clicked and I am settling in pretty seamlessly. I think being in such a small program that gives their students so much personal attention has really helped me make a smooth transition from a small high school to a large college. By the time I started classes, I felt like I already had a place at Baruch, #ScholarGang! I am looking forward to taking classes that actually interest me and studying abroad! I also want to get more involved within the Baruch community and I am applying to T.E.A.M Baruch to become a peer mentor or an orientation leader.
I think that my experience on my high Schoo’s baseball team gave me similar results. However I really liked your motto “not for school, but for life”, and wish I implemented that on my teams.
I completely agree with the fact that some high school experiences can have the biggest impact on us. I also love how you mentioned learning the value of hard work, integrity, trust, and leadership, because I think it is very relatable.
I think it is interesting to see how being on a team influenced you as a person. I wasn’t on a team so I think seeing that perspective from someone is very interesting.
It is so nice that one of your greatest impacts on your development came from your track team family. It must have been fun and, bonding, traveling to all those states together for those competitions. I am also glad to hear that you already feel you can add another family (or “scholar gang”) to your school families.