Background
Ajay Runkel is a 17-year-old baseball player from Rochester, IL. He recently announced his verbal commitment to the UIS baseball program. He has been playing baseball since a young age and has become a vital part of our baseball program here at Rochester.
Why UIS
When I asked Ajay about his reasoning for committing to UIS, he said, “I committed to UIS because I plan on going into med school. That’s like 8 to 12 years of school, and I’d rather have my first four at home.” I find this to be a very relatable experience. Almost everyone me included would love to stay at home close to their parents during college. I believe it gives more opportunities to get aid from your parents because college is definitely a very large financial strain.
Competition and interest
Another thing I asked Ajay was about the competitiveness of the UIS baseball program. He responded to this question with “They are Division 2 and they’re one of the top teams in the country, actually.”. After he answered this question, it sparked my interest. What other options did he have? So I asked, “ What schools did you or the school itself show interest in? Did other schools offer you?” he replied, “ I had colleges like Spoon River School of Engineering, Roes Holman, that’s a school in Indiana, Milliken. I had one in northern Illinois.” So a lot of interest from a variety of different schools.
Other Options
I asked Ajay about his other interests and what his main focuses outside of baseball might be, and possible career paths he may head down. He noted that he mainly hed like to be a doctor, also mentioning other options he might have, such as engineering or construction management.
