my name is Tony, and I'm a sophomore in college I'm student, athlete and someone with ADHD. My life hasnt been easy, but its shaped me into the person I am today. Growing up with divorced parents was my stress and anxiety adding to my ADHD but my mom did her best to support me and still does, always pushing me to work harder and never give up, even when things felt overwhelming. Many times it does feel overwhelming, because I left my family in California to go to college across the nation in Connecticut. I miss them a lot, but I know this journey Im on will be well worth it. Living with ADHD has been one of my biggest challenges. Focusing in school was never easy for me, and I used to get frustrated when I couldnt finish assignments as quickly as everyone else or understand what the teachers where trying to explain. It felt like no matter how hard I tried, I always had to work twice as hard to keep up. Over time, I learned how to manage my ADHD with the help of medication, therapy, and a lot of mental strength. Basketball has always been my escape. Being on the court helps me focus and feel like I belong. Its where I can let go of everything else and just play. But its also taught me a lot about life especially how to manage my time, work as a team, and stay disciplined. I'm also 6'11" ft, which definitely helps, but Ive realized that being good at basketball isnt just about physical skills. Its about mental toughness and showing up every day ready to put in the work, even when its hard. I have days when I struggle mentally to show up, but I will push myself to have the right mindset and be productive for my games and practices My future plans are to continue playing the game I love and to hopefully make a career out of it. If playing basketball doesn't work out, I definitely want to work in the field of sports. Im currently majoring in Sport Management, to maybe working sport marketing or as a sports agent, that would be my ideal job. I have a 3.4 GPA and although I push myself very hard to maintain this GPA , Its rewarding to see that I can do it balancing my sport, school and ADHD.

My father is Tony Acevedo and he's been in Law enforcement for over 25 years. I'm Tony Acevedo and I'm a student athlete with ADD playing basketball. The reason I mention my ADHD is because it has shaped me and challenged me my entire life, and has helped me build resilience, perseverance, and determination. I have also learned to build leadership and communication skills both on and off the court to help me succeed. I currently play basketball for the University of St Joseph's and it hasn't been easy for me to get here, even at my stature. I have had challenges since early childhood with my academics and communication skills. Throughout the years and as I got older, I realized that I had to work much harder than my peers, I had to figure out ways to stay on top of my academics and my sport to be able to go to college and play basketball in college. I had to learn to be my own leader, because I didn't want anyone to know about my disability, so I wouldn't be judged or excluded. I did this by really pushing myself through tutoring, after school resources, and also pushing my body at the gym and making myself stronger mentally and physically. As much as I wanted to give up at times, I reminded myself this was the only way to get through the challenges and I didn't want to quit on my goals. I was resilient in navigating my challenges by eventually communicating my difficulties so I could get the proper resources to assist me in navigating my challenges, especially when I started college and became overwhelmed in balancing my academics and sports. It has helped me immensely now that I am more open to this. I have also been an instrumental part of my team and work really hard in keeping my grades up so I dont let me coaches or team down, which I believe shows an act of selflessness. Also, knowing how much my mom has worked to allow me the experiences of college is a big reason why I try so hard, even when i feel i cant. My focus and determination show daily. I moved from my home in California across the nation to Connecticut to attend college. This was the hardest move for me, away from my family and friends. I no longer had my mom to guide me and help me not forget tasks. She was instrumental in making sure I kept on top of all my Dr. appts, my school, and my daily tasks, But I was willing to move across the nation, to reach my goals. I had to quickly learn a new away to overcome my ADD challenges, I make sure I calendar all my upcoming tests, make sure I attend all my tutoring sessions, show up to class on time, and turn in assignments in a timely manner. I show up to all my workouts on time and listen to what my teammates and coaches as of me. We are a team and if I let myself down, I let everyone else down. My strong work ethic was evident over the summer in California, where I worked on my basketball training while juggling two jobs. I worked at my local recreational center as a basketball coach and a retail shop selling shoes. On weekends I trained for basketball to be ready for my next season. My ADD challenges will always be a part of me, but my passion for basketball and 3.4 GPA is what I focus on.

My name is Tony Acevedo, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 4th grade ( age 10) , but I wasn’t told about my disability until this year, 2023 at the age of 17. I stand 6’10” in height and have been tall all my life. Lucky for me I also fell in love with the sport of basketball, and I have been playing since I was 8 years old. I do believe that basketball although fast-paced, helped me cope and learn to deal with my ADHD, without knowing I had it. But, I always had trouble remembering game plays, and practices, and I could see my coaches' frustration, during games and didn’t know why, my coaches didn’t know about ADHD, I didn’t at that time know about ADHD and how it affects my sport, I just play the best I can. My struggles in school were just the same, I didn’t know when we were having tests, I didn’t know when assignments were due, and I would be taught a math lesson and forget how to do it minutes later. I always remember my mom crying sometimes in frustration when I would forget things, school projects, school essays, and just anything that was important. She hired so many tutors to help me get through math and they did help, but I still struggled. In my last two years of High School, I played on my varsity basketball team and I did very well, I could see myself improving. During the last couple summers, my mom enrolled me in travel ball, which means we would travel locally and play more competitive teams. During one of these travel tournaments, I was approached by a scout for prep schools. I didn’t know what a prep school was and neither did my mom, so we didn’t follow up on it. But they called and my mom spoke to them and they told us a prep school ( boarding school) to continue one additional year of high school would be ideal for me and they had a school that wanted me and would offer me a scholarship. The only concern? It meant leaving home in California and going across the nation to Massachusetts! I had never been away from home, my mom was instrumental in guiding me through high school, helping me remember assignments, and remembering basketball practice days. tests and anything else that needed to be done, so the thought of leaving all I know and my mom having a hard time with the thought of me leaving, was a bit nerve-wracking. I have been here in Massachusetts for a year now and I have online therapy sessions, which my mom worked so hard in getting approved since her insurance would only cover me in California. I also take a holistic approach to help me focus, by doing yoga once a week and taking a cocktail of vitamins to help me with my ADHD. Basketball keeps me positive, it keeps me going and I know I need to stay on top of my academics so I can play. Basketball has been my outlet. Basketball helps me feel better about my learning disability because I know I struggle, but I am still a great basketball player. It motivates me, it encourages me to better myself every day. it's my emotional medicine. I plan to study Kinensiology to also understand the body and help those that struggle the way i have but can learn skills to help them cope. I appreciate taking care of my body and my mind, with a more holistic approach

My name is Tony Acevedo, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 4th grade ( age 10) , but I wasn’t told about my disability until this year, 2023 at the age of 17. I stand 6’10” in height and have been tall all my life. Lucky for me I also fell in love with the sport of basketball, and I have been playing since I was 8 years old. I do believe that basketball although fast-paced, helped me cope and learn to deal with my ADHD, without knowing I had it. But, I always had trouble remembering game plays, and practices, and I could see my coaches' frustration, during games and didn’t know why, my coaches didn’t know about ADHD, I didn’t at that time know about ADHD and how it affects my sport, I just play the best I can. My struggles in school were just the same, I didn’t know when we were having tests, I didn’t know when assignments were due, and I would be taught a math lesson and forget how to do it minutes later. I always remember my mom crying sometimes in frustration when I would forget things, school projects, school essays, and just anything that was important. She hired so many tutors to help me get through math and they did help, but I still struggled. In my last two years of High School, I played on my varsity basketball team and I did very well, I could see myself improving. During the last couple summers, my mom enrolled me in travel ball, which means we would travel locally and play more competitive teams. During one of these travel tournaments, I was approached by a scout for prep schools. I didn’t know what a prep school was and neither did my mom, so we didn’t follow up on it. But they called and my mom spoke to them and they told us a prep school ( boarding school) to continue one additional year of high school would be ideal for me and they had a school that wanted me and would offer me a scholarship. The only concern? It meant leaving home in California and going across the nation to Massachusetts! I had never been away from home, my mom was instrumental in guiding me through high school, helping me remember assignments, and remembering basketball practice days. tests and anything else that needed to be done, so the thought of leaving all I know and my mom having a hard time with the thought of me leaving, was a bit nerve-wracking. I have been here in Massachusetts for a year now and I have online therapy sessions, which my mom worked so hard in getting approved since her insurance would only cover me in California. I also take a holistic approach to help me focus, by doing yoga once a week and taking a cocktail of vitamins to help me with my ADHD. Basketball keeps me positive, it keeps me going and I know I need to stay on top of my academics so I can play. Basketball has been my outlet. Basketball helps me feel better about my learning disability because I know I struggle, but I am still a great basketball player. It motivates me, it encourages me to better myself every day. it's my emotional medicine. I plan to study Kinesiology to also understand the body and help those that struggle the way i have but can learn skills to help them cope. I appreciate taking care of my body and my mind, with a more holistic approach

My name is Tony Acevedo, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 4th grade ( age 10) , but I wasn’t told about my disability until this year, 2022 at the age of 17. I live with my mom and my siblings and my mom has truly been my biggest advocate and supporter as we navigated this world of ADHD. I don't think my mom truly knew what was going on and she tried her best to stay positive and patient with me. She guided me through so much and always looked for the best resources to help me get by at school and at home. My mom was always making sure I knew my daily tasks and would use a whiteboard every day to list all my tasks, showering, homework, practice, upcoming tests, and the days I had to study for the tests. She would access the school portal to make sure I wouldn't miss deadlines and would list them on the whiteboard EVERY DAY. I know it was a lot of work, i could at times see the frustration and worry in her when she knew I had tests coming up that I would likely fail, because no matter how hard I studied, no matter how many tutors she hired ( online and in person) I was still not passing tests. I stand 6’10” in height and have been tall all my life. Lucky for me I also fell in love with the sport of basketball, and I have been playing since I was 8 years old. I do believe that basketball although fast-paced, helped me cope and learn to deal with my ADHD, without knowing I had it. But, I always had trouble remembering game plays, and practices, and I could see my coaches' frustration, during games and didn’t know why, my coaches didn’t know about ADHD, I didn’t at that time know about ADHD and how it affects my sport, I just play the best I can. My mom was instrumental in making sure I didn't miss a practice or game, and that I was always committed and consistent. She would drive anywhere I needed to to get the training and skill set I wanted in In my last two years of High School, I played on my varsity basketball team and I did very well, I could see myself improving. During the last couple of summers, my mom enrolled me in travel ball, which means we would travel locally and play more competitive teams. During one of these travel tournaments, I was approached by a scout for prep schools. I didn’t know what a prep school was and neither did my mom, so we didn’t follow up on it. But they called and my mom spoke to them and they told us a prep school ( boarding school) to continue one additional year of high school would be ideal for me and they had a school that wanted me and would offer me a scholarship. I I have been here in Massachusetts for a year now and I have online therapy sessions, which my mom worked so hard in getting approved since her insurance would only cover me in California. I also take a holistic approach to help me focus, by doing yoga once a week and taking a cocktail of vitamins to help me with my ADHD. Basketball keeps me positive, it keeps me going and I know I need to stay on top of my academics so I can play. Basketball has been my outlet

My name is Tony Acevedo, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022, at 17 yr old, but my mom said she always knew, she knew I struggled, she knew simple tasks were sometimes hard, and I sometimes questioned why I couldn't be at the same level as my peers, academically and athletically. I stand 6’10” in height and have been tall all my life. Lucky for me I also fell in love with the sport of basketball, and I have been playing since I was 8 years old. I do believe that basketball although fast-paced, helped me cope and learn to deal with my ADHD, without knowing I had it. I always had trouble remembering game plays, and practices, and I could see my coaches' frustration. My struggles in school were just the same, I couldn't remember anything I studied when I couldn't remember when assignments were due, and I always remember my mom crying sometimes in frustration She hired tutors to help me get through school, but I still struggled. In my last two years of High School, I played on my varsity basketball team and I did very well, I could see myself improving. During the last couple of summers, my mom enrolled me in travel ball, which means we would travel locally and play more competitive teams. During one of these travel tournaments, I was approached by a scout for prep schools. I didn’t know what a prep school was and neither did my mom, But they called and my mom spoke to them and they told us a prep school ( boarding school) to continue one additional year of high school would be ideal for me and they had a school that wanted me and would offer me a scholarship. I was 17 yrs old at this time and graduating earlier than my peers, so my mom thought the opportunity of an additional year of high school would be ideal for me, the only concern? With my recent ADHD diagnosis, It meant leaving home in California and going across the nation to Massachusetts! I had never been away from home, my mom was instrumental in guiding me through high school, helping me remember assignments, and remembering basketball practice days. The thought of leaving all I know and my mom having a hard time with the thought of me leaving was a bit nerve-wracking. In the end, we determined that my leaving would be a good start to see how I can manage, I have been here in Massachusetts for a year now and I have online behavioral therapy sessions. I have also chosen to take a holistic approach to help me focus, by doing yoga once a week and taking a cocktail of vitamins to help me with my ADHD. Basketball keeps me positive, it keeps me going and I know I need to stay on top of my academics so I can play. Basketball has been my outlet, the reason I have had this opportunity of attending a great boarding school away from home. Basketball helps me feel better about my learning disability because I know I struggle, but I am still a great basketball player. It motivates me, it encourages me to better myself every day. I want to pursue a career in professional basketball and kinesiology, to be able to help others like me understand their bodies and use sports as an outlet and this scholarship will help me achieve that.

My name is Tony Acevedo, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022, at 17 yr old, but my mom said she always knew, she knew I struggled, she knew simple tasks were sometimes hard, and I sometimes questioned why I couldn't be at the same level as my peers, academically and athletically. I stand 6’10” in height and have been tall all my life. Lucky for me I also fell in love with the sport of basketball, and I have been playing since I was 8 years old. I do believe that basketball although fast-paced, helped me cope and learn to deal with my ADHD, without knowing I had it. I always had trouble remembering game plays, and practices, and I could see my coaches' frustration. My struggles in school were just the same, I couldn't remember anything I studied when I couldn't remember when assignments were due, and I always remember my mom crying sometimes in frustration She hired tutors to help me get through school, but I still struggled. I left for Massachusetts for my last year of high school to play basketball which meant leaving home in California and going across the nation to Massachusetts! I had never been away from home, my mom was instrumental in guiding me through high school, helping me remember assignments, and remembering basketball practice days. The thought of leaving all I know and my mom having a hard time with the thought of me leaving was a bit nerve-wracking. I have been here in Massachusetts for a year now and I have online behavioral therapy sessions. I have also chosen to take a holistic approach to help me focus, by doing yoga once a week and taking a cocktail of vitamins to help me with my ADHD. My basketball season here has been a successful one and I’m currently being recruited by a couple of universities, which I am so grateful for. Basketball keeps me positive, it keeps me going and I know I need to stay on top of my academics so I can play. Basketball has been my outlet, the reason I have had this opportunity of attending a great boarding school away from home. Basketball helps me feel better about my learning disability because I know I struggle, but I am still a great basketball player. It motivates me, it encourages me to better myself every day. I want to pursue a career in professional basketball and kinesiology, to be able to help others like me understand their bodies and use sports as an outlet.

My name is Tony Acevedo, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022, at 17 yr old, but my mom said she always knew, she knew I struggled, she knew simple tasks were sometimes hard, and I sometimes questioned why I couldn't be at the same level as my peers, academically and athletically. I stand 6’10” in height and have been tall all my life. Lucky for me I also fell in love with the sport of basketball, and I have been playing since I was 8 years old. I do believe that basketball although fast-paced, helped me cope and learn to deal with my ADHD, without knowing I had it. I always had trouble remembering game plays, and practices, and I could see my coaches' frustration. My struggles in school were just the same, I couldn't remember anything I studied when I couldn't remember when assignments were due, and I always remember my mom crying sometimes in frustration She hired tutors to help me get through school, but I still struggled. In my last two years of High School, I played on my varsity basketball team and I did very well, I could see myself improving. During the last couple of summers, my mom enrolled me in travel ball, which means we would travel locally and play more competitive teams. During one of these travel tournaments, I was approached by a scout for prep schools. I didn’t know what a prep school was and neither did my mom, But they called and my mom spoke to them and they told us a prep school ( boarding school) to continue one additional year of high school would be ideal for me and they had a school that wanted me and would offer me a scholarship. I was 17 yrs old at this time and graduating earlier than my peers, so my mom thought the opportunity of an additional year of high school would be ideal for me, the only concern? With my recent ADHD diagnosis, It meant leaving home in California and going across the nation to Massachusetts! I had never been away from home, my mom was instrumental in guiding me through high school, helping me remember assignments, and remembering basketball practice days. The thought of leaving all I know and my mom having a hard time with the thought of me leaving was a bit nerve-wracking. In the end, we determined that my leaving would be a good start to see how I can manage, I have been here in Massachusetts for a year now and I have online behavioral therapy sessions. I have also chosen to take a holistic approach to help me focus, by doing yoga once a week and taking a cocktail of vitamins to help me with my ADHD. My basketball season here has been a successful one and I’m currently being recruited by a couple of universities, which I am so grateful for. Basketball keeps me positive, it keeps me going and I know I need to stay on top of my academics so I can play. Basketball has been my outlet, the reason I have had this opportunity of attending a great boarding school away from home. Basketball helps me feel better about my learning disability because I know I struggle, but I am still a great basketball player. It motivates me, it encourages me to better myself every day. I want to pursue a career in professional basketball and kinesiology, to be able to help others like me understand their bodies and use sports as an outlet.