Wearing Purple with Pride: Student-Athletes Chase Their Dreams
March 31, 2026ALLIANCE – Student-athletes have a drive for athletic success by nature. At the University of Mount Union, they pair that ambition in sports with classroom perseverance to pursue incredible career opportunities. Ty Dennison ’27, mechanical engineering major, and nursing majors Tyler Harsh ’27 and Anna Weinel ’28, show up every day with great attitudes to work toward a main goal: a fulfilling career.
“Whether I am playing some video games or calling my girlfriend to decompress, I try to manage my stress,” said Dennison. “To stay motivated, however, I always remind myself that my career as an engineer is reliant on the course material and experiences I’m offered.”
Dennison '27
Recognizing that a student-athlete’s schedule is hectic, Dennison still finds time to dedicate to his engineering career, having spent his winter break in Canada to complete his global engineering course and travel requirements before baseball season began.
My favorite part of playing baseball at Mount Union is the team camaraderie that we as teammates have built – we all have each other’s back.
For Weinel, being a student-athlete has helped her build essential skills needed to be a nurse. Being disciplined and putting in time and effort at lacrosse practices has allowed Weinel to build a focused mindset, which helps her stay concentrated when sitting down to study course material.
“Playing a sport in college is very time-consuming, and I learned early on that procrastination is not an option,” said Weinel. “I can’t wait only two days prior to an exam to start studying when I have practice almost every night and then traveling for a game on the weekend.”
Weinel '28
Weinel has also learned to work and play under pressure, which has helped her control her emotions in stressful situations. However, when she is feeling overwhelmed, Weinel knows that she can count on her coaches, Bethany Snider and Madie Gash, and teammates.
“During a game, there is a lot of pressure to perform and stay calm in intense, high-stakes situations. Similarly, making the smartest decision, not just the first option or the option based on emotions, can be the difference in keeping a patient alive,” stated Weinel. “There will be a lot of situations as a nurse where I will want to panic, but playing a sport, I have learned to keep my emotions intact, focus on what my task is, and execute what I have been taught.”
Harsch has learned to manage his time as a student-athlete, dedicating his time off to studying and completing requirements for the nursing major, while spending in-season soccer time with his teammates.
“My favorite part about nursing and playing soccer is almost having two families; my daily life revolves around soccer and nursing,” said Tyler Harsch. “Playing soccer, I walked into a team of men who are like brothers to me, and the nursing cohort is very similar because we have all been together since freshman year.”
Harsch '27
Wishing to become a cardiovascular intensive care unit nurse, Harsch recognizes that working relentlessly can be difficult, but it is what will lead to a successful career. While being a student-athlete can be stressful, it also helps students gain skills that a classroom and a book cannot teach.
Explore our student involvement page to discover more ways to engage on campus!