My name is Charles Jaeger. I am a twenty-one-year-old senior and a Business Administration Major at the University of Dubuque, and I am on the baseball team. I graduated from Wahlert Catholic High School in 2020 and attended Ellsworth Community College, where I graduated with High Honors in the spring of 2022 with a GPA of 3.96 and received the Academic Athlete of the Year for 2022. I attended Clarke University from 2022 to 2023 and have been welcomed into the University of Dubuque family for my senior year of college.
From the moment my parents signed me up for baseball at the age of three, it was my first love. I can truthfully say the sport enhanced my life in every aspect and has been the biggest mental health tool I have had in my eighteen years of playing the game, as well as a driving force for me to stay physically healthy. Whether I am overwhelmed with personal relationships, work, or school, stepping onto the field has been the best release I have found in my life. I have seen the issue of mental health take hold of people close to me, and I am forever indebted to the game of baseball for helping me combat issues I have faced in life. Mental health affects everyone, no matter if you can see it or not. I encourage everyone to allow themselves and others to be vulnerable, comfortable, and open to facing the problems we all experience. The University of Dubuque has an amazing community that encourages this, and I am beyond lucky to be surrounded by student body, staff members, and coaches that are here with me every step of the way.
