My name is Virginia Speltz, and I am on the women’s soccer team at the University of Dubuque. I am majoring in nursing with a psychology minor. Outside of being a student athlete I work in admissions as a student ambassador, serve at a restaurant in downtown Dubuque, work in the emergency room as a nursing assistant, and I am the social media representative for the University of Dubuque Student Nursing Association. Balancing so many roles has shown me the importance of setting boundaries and putting my mental and physical health first. When I fail to do so, it becomes nearly impossible to manage the demands of school, sports, work, and leadership. It is easy to push mental health aside when life gets overwhelming, but I have seen how neglecting it eventually impacts every area- from academics to athletics to relationships. By learning to slow down, stand up and say no once in a while, and care for myself both physically and mentally, I have been able to maintain balance and show up fully in everything I do. As a student-athlete, I have also learned how easy it is for your identity to become defined by how you perform and the sport you play, rather than by who you truly are as a person. This is something I have struggled with throughout my career as an athlete. I often feel as though my worth is measured by my performance. When I tore my ACL my freshman year of college and was forced to sit out, I suddenly lost that part of myself and began questioning who I was without the sport. Watching from the sidelines was painful, not only physically but emotionally, as I struggled with the feeling that my identity and worth were slipping away. That experience, though difficult, shaped me into who I am today and taught me that while soccer will always be a part of me, it does not define me. It gave me perspective that my value is not measured by goals scored or minutes played, but by the character I bring to everything I do. These lessons have not only shaped my personal journey, but they have inspired me to advocate for mental health and well-being in my nursing career. I hope to use my experiences to support others who face similar pressures and to help them recognize that their value extends far beyond performance alone.
