Student Athlete Spotlight: Sophomore Jack Mangene talks golf, community, and God.

Sophomore golfer and exercise science major, Jack Mangene, juggles a hectic schedule, social life, and Division III athletic career. Firing a 74 in his first tournament of the season, Mangene has golf down to a “tee” – pun definitely intended. While still putting the work in at his sport, Mangene also manages a load of responsibilities that make him more than an athlete. Besides being on the men’s golf team at Eastern, Jack is an RA for the first floor of Guffin Hall, Wednesday Night Worship member, Chapel Worship Team member, Leadership Fellows Program member and aide for a physical therapist off campus.

The golfer, student and musician has a lot on his plate, but experience in his major is a priority to him. An aspiring chiropractor, his off campus job at a local physical therapy practice adds to his resume. “I get experience with actual patients. I run them through exercises to help them improve their physical condition,” he said. From this job, he learns how
to better inform patients about preventing injury, managing pain, and recovering effectively.

Along with helping people in physical conflict, Mangene also manages conflicts with roommates, residents, and others on campus as an RA and a member of LFP. He says that he had never really been in a position that he was relied on to solve an immediate problem, but being an RA has taught him to be prepared for that moment.

“When you get people living together, you start to realize that there are a lot of things that bother certain people. And you have to balance which of those things is my role, as an RA, to intervene on, and which of those things are not really my place,” Mangene said. This conflict management and wanting to bring people together in situations that seem to drive them apart is a vital quality that he possesses.

Mangene is a true team player, always looking out for his residents, friends, and teammates. This extends from the golf course to Guffin Residence Hall. “Building community has been a main role of mine in LFP and as an RA,” Mangene said. “People like to feel validated. I think it’s really important to feel comfortable going to certain people, so I try to be that person.”

Although golf is an individual sport that requires little to no person-to-person interaction, Mangene highly values the team aspect of golf. Mangene’s “people-person” character floats around with him wherever he goes. “It’s really important to be unified as a team, and to be best friends with your team,” he said. Good sportsmanship and support of teammates even in times of personal struggle is valuable to Mangene, another sign of his stellar character and heart of gold.

Handling these responsibilities and various roles is no light task for Jack Mangene, but there is a reason for everything. “It’s an opportunity to grow myself overall as a person. God’s blessed me with some specific talents, and I think it’s my role to go into those roles and share his love through them. I’m proud to be so many things because it’s just more opportunities to share the love.”