My name is Zavion Ingram. I am a twenty-one-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, and I am currently majoring in Marketing at the University of Dubuque. I graduated from Cleveland High School in 2020 and began my college journey at Fayetteville Technical Community College before transferring here to continue my education and baseball career. Baseball became important to me the moment I realized the community baseball had to offer. From that moment on, the game gave me a name, an outlet, and a way to truly be myself and express who I am. Baseball has shaped me in many ways, but one of the biggest challenges I faced was putting my identity into the game. If I performed well, I felt good, but if I struggled, I let it bring me down. That mindset taught me a valuable lesson: this is just a game, and it’s supposed to be fun. Once you get wrapped up in the results, you lose the joy that made you fall in love with it in the first place. Through my journey, I’ve learned that balancing academics, athletics, and self-care is key to growth. Baseball has given me teammates who have become like family, and mentors who continue to guide me, both on and off the field. Most importantly, it has taught me resilience and perspective. My advice to other student-athletes is simple: enjoy the game and don’t lose sight of why you started. Prioritize your mental and physical health, lean on the people and resources around you, and remember that your value goes far beyond wins and losses.
