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My name is KeiJhuan James, I am from O’Fallon, Illinois but currently I live in Orlando, Florida. I am a Junior at the University of Dubuque and majoring in Wellness and Exercise Science. I also play safety for the UD football team. I understand the importance of balancing my academic and athletic commitments, and I am committed to prioritizing my physical and emotional well-being. I graduated high school in 2020, which was a very tough transition because of Covid and finishing high school in an online learning format and then a hybrid learning style when entering college. In my first two years at UD, I struggled with my academics and mental health, because I only focused on football. Which led to me failing out of the university and moving back home. Once that happened, it was one of the darkest times in my young life. In April 2022, I made the decision that I was going to be better and work on my mental health and pursue my degree. I was given the opportunity to attend a school in Columbia, South Carolina where I was able to have a fresh restart and rewrite my story and change the perception of who I am. On February 8th, 2023, as I tried to play baseball for the school that I was at, I was deemed ineligible due to my previous academic performance and lack of credits that transferred in. I decided that I wanted to reach out to my former coach about returning to UD. I left my previous institution with a 3.85 GPA and two consecutive semesters on the Dean’s List. Returning to UD, I made it a priority to maintain my new academic standing and continue to put my focus on my mental and physical health. Coming back was the best decision that I could have ever made. Having my teammates welcome me back with open arms, and my coaches constantly motivate me to continue to be the best version of myself has validated the changes that I have made. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has come into my life at UD and to those who stay in it. I encourage everyone to focus on the goals that are important to you, and to make sure that your health and your relationships are the foundation of accomplishing those goals.
