Commitment Profile
Mother's Influence Helps Harvard-Bound Eason
by Rhiannon Potkey, 21 December 2017
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Rachel Eason didn't have to look far to find a role model.
Her mother has raised Eason as a single parent since her parents divorced. Throughout Eason's childhood, she provided constant support and guidance.
Blue Chip Senior Rachel Eason Has Committed To Harvard
She encouraged Eason to pursue her tennis dreams, and made sure academics remained a high priority.
“I know her situation is tough, so I need to work hard and push myself because my dad isn't always around to tell me what to do,” Eason said. “Basically, I've had to mature a lot sooner compared to other kids because I know the kind of stress my mom is under.”
Mother and daughter had a reason to celebrate last week when Eason received her acceptance letter in the mail from Harvard. The blue chip senior from Union City, California, will begin playing for the Crimson in the fall of 2018.
“Obviously it's an amazing school with the academics and tennis and the campus is really beautiful,” Eason said. “When I visited, Coach (Traci) Green and Coach Andrew (Laing) were both super welcoming and so was the team. I just felt like it was a really good fit for me.”
Eason began playing tennis later than most blue chips. She didn't pick up a racket until she was 10. She tried swimming and a few other activities before her mom signed her up for a tennis camp.
“We had a court around our house and sometimes I would take her to the courts and some of my friends would watch,” said Eason's mother, Sarah Lin. “They would say she looked really good at this. But I didn't really know until later on. I didn't believe them.”
