Monique Nkwogu

My name is Monique Nkwogu, and I am 2025 graduate at Carl Sandburg H.S. in Orland Park, Illinois. I am 6-foot-2 and weigh 160 pounds while primarily playing center/post. I currently hold a 4.0 GPA and plan on majoring in pre-med to become a dermatologist. One thing that makes me stand out from other players is my athleticism, as I participate in track & field and am also a multi-gold medalist. I am naturally more athletic than most girls my size.

I am a special athlete because of my self-discipline when it comes to working hard. I know that playing basketball in college isn’t an easy path and will require lots of training and sacrifice, but this is what I work for and I aspire to be the best collegiate athlete I can be. This makes me a special kind of athlete because not many people who’ve played sports with me would take it to another level with the competitiveness and determination that I do. I’ll do whatever it takes to compete in college – even if it means sacrificing my free time and summer in the gym. I often go to my local gym to gain muscle and also conduct post drills that my coach gave me. I work out every Saturday, Sunday and Monday for 2 hours for the last two years. I focus on post/footwork drills to improve my moves in the paint. To further expand my game, I practice ball handing, my overall quickness so I’m not a liability, and defending the wing.

Some of my academic strengths include that I take AP/Honors courses such as U.S. History, Spanish 4 Honors and Human Anatomy Honors. I have been selected for the National Honors Society and received the Service Learning Award. I often do volunteer work such as coaching kids basketball, tending to senior citizens, tutoring kids that are struggling with their academics and volunteering at local events for charity. Other activities I’m involved in are my school’s Black Student Union, Student Council, Eagle Connect (builds connections in our community and welcomes everyone in every way), Key Club, and Swim Guard, which allows students to gain hands-on experience teaching youngsters to swim.