My Ohio State story starts in the seventh grade.
I was a huge basketball fan and loved playing the sport. I still am and still do, but that year, I developed a lot of anxiety surrounding the game I treasured. I began to have stress-related, non-epileptic seizures and went to an Ohio State sports psychologist for help.
He gave me a bunch of mental techniques to cope with stressful situations and taught me how to meditate before games. His support had a profound impact on me. My symptoms improved, the seizures stopped, and I knew from that point on that I wanted to be a sports psychologist.
Today, I’m on the path to making that dream a reality thanks to Ohio State. If it wasn’t for my professors at Ohio State Marion or the opportunities that the university has afforded me, I wouldn’t be on the cusp of a career that I’ve had my eyes on since seventh grade.
As a member of the Sports Psychology Club at Ohio State, I had the chance to meet and talk to football coach Ryan Day. He told me how cool he thought it was that I was focused on helping athletes address mental health. He talked about how members of his team value resiliency and why it’s so important we provide resources to help them and athletes of all sports. It inspired me to keep chasing my dreams.
After earning my bachelor’s degree this spring, I plan to enroll in graduate school. I haven’t decided whether to pursue a master’s or doctorate in sports psychology, but my overall goal is to help others. It’s not always about making money. I just want to make a great impact on this world and help other people.
It might be the Buckeye spirit of paying forward in me. I didn’t have scholarships when I first came to Ohio State. Working hard and staying on the dean’s list opened doors for grants and scholarships to come my way.
I was relieved to have that extra support. It let me know that if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do, eventually you’ll be rewarded.
With gratitude,
AJ Bennett ’23 BA
