Isabella Rando

My last semester of high school I coached middle school girl's volleyball in our first developmental volleyball program. I was responsible for 100% of when went into practices. This included leading and running every practice, setting up the net, communicating information, and working with school officials to allow practices to continue. Though this was arguably the busiest time of my high school career, I managed to create deep connections with those younger in my community. Other attributes include:

• Provided guidance and mentorship to young aspiring volleyball athletes.
• Collaborated with fellow coaches to share best practices, leading to overall program improvement.
• Established a supportive environment that encouraged growth, accountability, sportsmanship among young players.
• Created positive and encouraging environment to motivate young athletes to give their best efforts.
• Installed qualities of discipline, teamwork, and passion.

My school hosted an international collaborative 3-day event for Band & Choir. In that time, I was responsible for any questions from musicians or chaperones, organizing events, setting up venues, and overall being of any sort of service where I was needed. I also learned new skills as I was later put to work the tech booth for the final show.

• Built relationships with both students and school faculty from 7 different African countries.
• Played a key role in the implementation of new initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall experience for students by serving on various planning committees and more.
• Represented my school in a professional environment, delivering engaging presentations to diverse audiences.
• Displayed multiple skills and took on various responsibilities.

My international school is part of a conference comprised of 8 international schools across Africa. This is known as the International Schools of Southern and Eastern Africa (ISSEA). I've been playing volleyball since I was 11 years old, already having won a school title at my international school in China in 2019 as a starter. Being a starter on this team my sophomore year, and co-captain my junior year, meant I was an active contributing member of my team. We won back to back in the 2021 and 2022 season without dropping a set the entire tournament. My school had never won girls volleyball in its 27 year history (founded 1998), we were the first to do so. This activity also consists of long international travels to different African countries.

• Developed strong mental resilience through rigorous training sessions, enabling peak performance during competitions.
• Adapted quickly to changes in competition schedules or environments, demonstrating mental agility and composure under pressure.
• Displayed excellent sportsmanship, earning the respect of coaches, teammates, opponents, and officials alike.
• Balanced academic commitments with athletic pursuits, maintaining a high GPA while excelling in sports activities.
• Demonstrated strong leadership skills as a team captain, motivating teammates and fostering a supportive environment.
• Attended all practices, meetings, and workouts on time.
• Contributed to the success of the team by consistently meeting or exceeding personal goals and expectations.

This volleyball achievement is similar to the one in Tanzania. I transferred my senior year to the International School of Uganda, where they are apart of the same ISSEA conference. Except this year, I was the sole captain working on a brand new team. Through grit and perseverance, I led my team to third place where it was hosted at Harare International School (HIS) in Zimbabwe.

• Developed strong mental resilience through rigorous training sessions, enabling peak performance during competitions.
• Adapted quickly to changes in new sports environments, teammates, demonstrating mental agility and composure under pressure.
• Balanced academic commitments with athletic pursuits, maintaining a high GPA while excelling in sports activities.
• Managed time effectively while traveling for games, attending practice, and going to classes.

Being born and raised in Brazil, I grew up playing soccer from the ages of 6 to 12 years old. However, my senior year of high school, I was recruited to be the ISSEA team's goal keeper. Although I hadn't played the position since I was 12, I quickly fell back into the role. My volleyball skills were easily transferable as I was unafraid of the ball, and have excellent hand-eye coordination. Overall, my school got 5th at ISSEA, hosted at ICS in Ethiopia. Although, across the 3-day tournament, I was only scored on twice (against the team that took gold), and won all but 2 games. In this I:

• Maintained excellent physical conditioning through disciplined adherence to nutrition, exercise, and recovery plans. (Especially as Addis Ababa has a much higher altitude).
• Continuously set new personal records through disciplined goal-setting and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
• Collaborated with coaches to develop individualized training plans for optimal performance. I consistently worked overtime with my coaches.
• Maintained peak physical condition through disciplined adherence to training and recovery protocols.
• Achieved personal performance milestones, setting new records and earning accolades in numerous competitions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I lived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania with an animal shelter by my house. Because in this time we were left with very little to do, I would walk to the (outdoor) animal shelter with my mask and volunteer to help the animals. This included:

• Keeping the animals healthy and exercising by taking the dogs on walks along the beach (that was across the street).
• Provided companionship and comfort to animals in need of extra love and attention.
• Cleaned and sanitized living areas to promote health and wellbeing.
• Fostering 2 dogs and eventually a mother who gave birth to 5 puppies.
• Eventually, my family and I adopted a disabled dog we fostered for 2 years.