What do a love of baseball, faith and finances have in common? Jack Harpole sums it up.
Jack from Littleton, Colorado, sums up his time as a Raven by saying, “Benedictine College makes you a better person.”
Jack graduated from Benedictine College with a major in finance and now works as an assistant manager for a large architectural glass company in Nashville, Tennessee.
He said it was his older sisters who introduced him to Benedictine College, but that it was originally a baseball scholarship that brought him here.
Jack is an avid Raven athlete and shared how much he loves overcoming the challenges on the field. “I’ve loved baseball for as long as I can remember, I’ve played my whole life,” Jack said. “I love the sport and all the ups and downs that come with it. It’s made me a man because I’ve learned how to deal with the difficulties and hardships that come with the sport. I’ve learned how to bounce back and overcome those difficulties, which is an incredible feeling.”
“My two older sisters went to Benedictine College,” Jack said. “I saw how much they loved it and how much their faith was growing here. I wanted to do the same. I got a baseball scholarship and decided to go to Benedictine College.”
College has provided Jack with unexpected opportunities to strengthen his faith and develop leadership skills. “I believe that sports aren’t everything, and it’s important that we realize on the field that life has a higher purpose,” Jack said. “When I learned a few years ago that the college was remodeling the baseball field, I wanted to go out and bury a medal at third base to dedicate it and be surrounded by Mary’s mantle at the spot where I played. I told my dad about my idea, and he encouraged me and said, ‘Why don’t we do this for the whole field?’ Eventually, I brought it up to the coaches, and they loved the idea. So we ended up dedicating the whole baseball field to Mary. We had a big ceremony, and it was one of the most memorable experiences for me at Benedictine.”
Another result of Jack’s education and experience at the college was that he gained more confidence. “I think that being consecrated to the field has brought us back to the basics,” he said. “It takes the stress off of us because we know we’re here for bigger things. Whether it’s through success or failure on the field, there’s always a life of faith to lean on. No matter what happens, the most important thing is faith. The successes and failures at Benedictine have made me lean on that faith more than anything else.”
The transformation is the collective result of Jack’s investment in his education, athletics and ministry at Benedictine. “I could say so much about why I love Benedictine,” he said. “The whole community is focused on making you the best person you can become. All aspects of my life are transformed to become who God truly intended you to be, whether it’s through athletics, academics or my life of faith. Through these aspects, Benedictine College has made me a better person.” Jack wins the game of life.
Brooklynne Wozny and Jenna Ross contributed to this report.
