MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Living a healthy life is a goal that everyone strives for, especially as an athlete.

IMG Academy was recently ranked No. 1 in the United States and is a top three finalist in the world for promoting healthy lives in its students.

Jason Pan has been striving to master the game of soccer since he was 7.

“I love scoring and working as a team together,” he said.

He’s originally from Shanghai, China, and had never been to the U.S. until last year when he enrolled at IMG Academy. He’s now a senior.

“My goal is to go D1 and hopefully play at an Ivy school,” he said.

Students with high aspirations, like Pan, benefit from IMG’s athletic and personal development curriculum. That program is one of three finalists in the Supporting Healthy Lives category for the World’s Best School Prizes — an international education award created by T4 Education.

Adapting to a new environment was hard for Pan, but over 30% of IMG’s enrollment is international students, and he has found a second family.

“I go out with my teammates sometimes with their family, too. It makes me feel like I belong here, like they accept me,” he said.

The student-athletes at IMG Academy attend regular training sessions for more than just strength and conditioning.

The school says the staff also emphasizes leadership, mental performance, nutrition, communication and sport science. Overall, there are 75 specialists within the personal development curriculum.

“I have all of the resources under one roof; I can get whatever I need,” he said.

It’s this merging of athletic and off-the-field growth that Pan says has helped him not only stay on track but prosper.

“All of them combined has helped me improve as a better athlete and as a better player,” he said.

After training in the morning, he turns his attention to academics in the afternoon.

“This year, I’m taking five classes,” he explained. “Right now I’m reading ‘Into the Wild,’” he said about one of the books he’s reading for his AP Language class.

He says it can be a lot, juggling soccer and school, but he’s balancing both, thanks to advice from his dad.

“He always stresses the importance of managing my time right, stay on task, and focused on what you are doing,” Pan said. “I feel very blessed to be on this team."

Pan sees the advantage of the IMG Academy’s internationally recognized curriculum. It’s all part of the investment in his future.

On Nov. 4, IMG Academy will find out the final ranking of the Healthy Lives category.