My name is Zane Pannell and I graduated from high school in Fulton IL. I started my journey at the University of Dubuque with the goal of studying Physical Education, as well as competing on the wrestling mat. Now a junior, I am pushing myself harder than ever in my academics as well as athletics. As a future educator I must be aware of mental health and how it can affect people in their day-to-day life. I personally have been affected by mental health issues in my life and was in a dark place for a long time. Thanks to the wonderful people in my life and a desire to accomplish my academic and athletic goals, I was able to seek out the help needed to address my depression. Physical health is very important to me as a collegiate level athlete and as someone who will be teaching it in the classroom. I hope to inspire my students and teach them how to properly care for their health. My personal journey has shown me the importance of taking care of your mental and physical health, and how that can allow you to help others. I am grateful to the people at UD who have stressed the importance of keeping myself healthy throughout my college career. As a future educator and coach, it is important to me to have an understanding of what a strong mind and body can do for someone. I have made leaps and bounds in my maturity and health goals and look forward to what the future holds for me.
