I'm a Partner of USA Today - What? by Evan

I'm a Partner of USA Today - What? by Evan - September 2015 Scholarship Essay

I have always loved sports. And I have always loved school. I have never once woken up, like most kids, and said I did not want to go to school. I enjoy learning and all of the different classes I have had the opportunity to take while in High School.

I have played many sports, and I am on the varsity soccer team at school. I love my teammates and being part of the team. I follow many athletes, from high school athletes to professional ones. I consider myself somewhat of an expert in sports statistics. This past summer I interned at a sports management company where I had the opportunity to learn a lot. I wrote articles about high school sports, I interviewed high school coaches, and I wrote some articles for the Atlanta Falcons yearbook.

After my internship, I had an idea. I asked my parents if I could buy a domain and make a website. On my own, I created a website called www.recruitdiaries.com. My idea was to seek out the best and most highly recruited athletes in the country, and have them write their own diaries of their recruitment years. After the website was up, with 4 athlete diaries, for only 2 weeks, I received an email from USA Today. They said they were impressed with what I had achieved, and that they were “obviously very impressed that I was only 17 years old.” They asked me if I wanted to partner with them and the rest is history. I am now an official partner of USA Today High School Sports and they use my content. My athlete diary articles are the top stories on USAToday.com when I have a new entry. It is very exciting for me and I am enjoying it a lot.

The situation outside of school where I learned to be a better student is the development of my website and the business deal I have made with USA Today. It has taught me what is possible when I put my mind to something, and has shown me what success looks like. When the press release from USA Today came out, they sent it to my school and to the local paper, and the principal of my school was also proud of me and publicized it to the school. I have also done a few radio interviews and an article was published in the paper about me. I am now motivated to do the best I can do in school, and I look forward to getting into a good college so I can continue to do well and become successful.