Maiya Clapton '20 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Maiya Clapton. For about 6 years now, I had dreamt about playing volleyball in the USA and going into medical school to eventually become a neurosurgeon (dream school = UCLA). I started volleyball a year later than others, but last year I made it my goal to get in the hours and reps of practice they had on me. Once I achieved my goal, I didn't want to just stop. I am still continuing to get as much practice and training in as possible so I can reach my full potential. 

I've played basketball, soccer, badminton, participated in x country and track and field, musical activities (piano, choir, voice, band), and have even danced (I don't regret it even though it was not my strongest area) competitively. From these, I have learned a lot, not just as an athlete, but as a person. Maturity and rationality, recognizing my limits, being aware of others emotions, graciousness, determination, and just how to be a better person.

It's easy to say i've never really been ok a team that's won any huge titles (my club team did win provincials last year though, wohoo!) At first, it was frusteratring. But then, all of our personal achievements as a team during our games became little victories for us that we started celebrating. I started to see that winning isn't always you crushing the other team, but it's the improvement and the goals that you and your team reach. 

Throughout elementary and junior high, I was always the leading academic in my class. Finish my work and assignments before others, showing others how to do something, or just have a really strong understanding of what we were learning. This last year, I decided to take a grade over the summer just for the challenge. I live for challenges, I live for achieving goals. I completed all four core subjects of the eight grade curriculum over the course of the summer. Now, I am in the International Baccalaureate program at Winston Churchill High School in Lethbridge.