My name is Joey Mugaas, and I am a student athlete at the University of Dubuque. I play hockey, work as a student admissions ambassador and plan on pursuing a career in aviation. There have been numerous times when I’ve felt the pressure to perform or doubted myself. One of the hardest moments in hockey was breaking my collarbone and having surgery senior year. I was forced away from hockey and had to take months off from skating and working out, something I had never really done since I started at such a young age. Seeing friends skating and missing out on games really took a toll on my mental health. I started to seek other hobbies in my life that kept me joy until hockey was an option again. This is when I started aviation, I quickly found a passion and now am majoring in it here at UD. I then came to realize how important it is to take care of your mental and emotional health. Since then I have always had other hobbies to turn to when a piece of my life doesn’t go as planned. Being healthy isn’t just about being physically ready, but also about taking care of your mental health by pursuing other activities. Aviation gives me a different challenge that allows me to focus on something I really enjoy without hockey being my entire focus. Having interests outside of hockey has really helped me out as I find more balance and create a better version of myself both on and off the ice. Being at the University of Dubuque, I am blessed with the opportunity to keep growing through school, admissions, hockey, and my goal of being a commercial pilot.
