Posted by Brendan Lane on October 16, 2009 at 5:36am
Brendan LaneArts and Architecture 1016 October 2006WDYDWYDI am a student-athlete. My life is driven by basketball and succeeding in school. Being Catholic and having a close relationship with my family helps me create my own personal values. My entire life I have played any sport I could play because I love being active and competitive. Athletics allows me to get away from any troubles that are going on in the world and just enjoy life. Basketball has taken me all over the world and has exposed me to so many different cultures. Having been to Africa and China I have a better appreciation for the blessed life I live. Seeing children starving and homeless is a huge culture shock coming from a wealthy suburb, but it taught me valuable lessons. This is why I play basketball, not only because I love the sport, but it lets me see the world and experience so many diverse things. Being white and playing a predominantly African-American sport helps motivate me to prove myself everyday that I belong. I strive to succeed in the classroom because my education can create so many other opportunities basketball cannot. If I was not successful in school I would not have been able to come to UCLA. I made academics a priority so I would have more opportunities to play college basketball somewhere. I choose to be close to the friends I have because they have the same beliefs as I do. They do not try to be a bad influence but rather they only help me stay true to my values and do not let me be someone who I am not. I do what I do to experience life to the fullest.
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