Athlete: Victor Sarat
High School: North Canyon
Signed With: Lake Forest College
What made you choose going to Lake Forest?
There are multiple reasons why LFC is the best place where I see myself succeeding in both academics and athletics in the next 4 years! If you see an aerial view of the amazing campus, there are trees everywhere that engulfs the college, is a 5 minute walk to Lake Michigan and an hour train ride from the great Metropolitan city, Chicago! This is the dream college I've always wanted to go! But one reason that stood out the most is that the coach is new there but in the past 3 seasons, he drastically improved the program! At Conference, the men went from 8th to 7th and then to 3rd (highest finish in team history)! At Regional, they went from 35th to 28th and finally to 18th place (highest finish in team history) in probably the hardest D3 regional in the country! Another fact that surprised me the most is that the Varsity squad is all Underclassmen! So there is only one direction they can go and that is toward success! I really want to be a part of this new era and help push them forward! I can't wait to get started! #FutureForester
What did you intend to study and do after college?
Right now I have my heart set on a course to major in Psychology en route to a Counseling career. I would like to go back into the High School setting where opportunities can be revealed and help students achieve their dreams just like I was! At Lake Forest College, I will be able to use Chicago's rich resources of internships, job shadowing, and volunteer experiences! Since D3 is more flexible than the other Divisions, I will have the chance to do the In The Loop Program where I will live in Chicago for a semester to do all sorts of things!
Without scholarships D3 runners do it because they love it. Why do you love running so much?
Deciding to run after High school was a huge factor of my college decision because I really want to do what I love with or without athletic scholarships! At my school, I am always surrounded with mentors that frequently told me that I am a student first, athlete second so going D3 will continue that ideology that I truly believe in! Also, anyone can run anywhere and at anytime but the team atmosphere is incomparable! You have people around you that want to improve as much as you do and they encourage you at the same time! Running keeps you sane and focus on the bigger goal in life whether to achieve a stress-free life, training for a Marathon or help you be on task in college. Although Lake Forest College does not give athletic scholarships, they did give me a very generous financial aid package that made college education very affordable for my family!
What has been your favorite HS memory?
My favorite HS school memory is meeting new people! Whether it was through XC, Track, or school, it was fun getting to know new people who are unique in their own way! That is a reason why I enjoyed Anasazi this past summer because I met awesome, fast and humble runners from all over the State! I've met so many great people in my very own XC and Track teams since Freshman year that I will definitely be in touch with after I graduate and move on. I also had the privilege to have met even more people in each of my classes that helped me get through school! Thanks to every single person (the list would be very long if I wrote out each name haha!), running or not, that I got to know and who encouraged me to become a great person!