Illinois College may be roughly three hours away from Rochelle Township High School, but it still felt like home for former Lady Hub student-athlete Jovanna Chavez.

A four-year high school tennis player who spent three years with both the RTHS dance team and the Lady Hubs soccer team, Chavez knew right away that Illinois College was the next step in her athletic career. She said she briefly considered attending Monmouth College, but after talking with coaches and professors on her first visit to Illinois College, Chavez left her doubts behind and set her course for Jacksonville.

“Illinois College was always my first pick,” Chavez said. “It was captivating enough for me to love it… My focus was on the tennis team and I was very fond of the coach. That created the initial spark, and when I got a chance to meet some of the professors I was really intrigued.”

Chavez picked up a tennis racket for the first time about 15 years ago, when her father Jaime introduced the game to her as a young child. Under her father’s tutelage, Chavez pursued tennis at RTHS, where she honed her skills with the support of Lady Hubs tennis coach Mike Pence. She said both her father and her former coach were instrumental in developing her game and fueling her passion for tennis.

“It started off as a family thing,” Chavez said. “My dad was a natural athlete and tennis was always a bonding thing for us. As I got older, especially during my time in high school, coach Pence was phenomenal. He helped install the love I have for tennis, and when I reached my senior year I thought it might be my last time on the court. However, once I got to college, I couldn’t stay away and I immediately wanted to join the team.”

Chavez arrived at Illinois College in 2013, and she went on to play four years of tennis for the Lady Blues. Her final victories came on March 23, 2017, when she picked up wins in No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles to help Illinois College top Blackburn College 9-0 for its last team victory of the 2016-17 season.

“My teammates were basically like my family,” Chavez said. “I didn’t know very many people, but my teammates really played a big part in my experience… I’m a very competitive person in general, so being able to play with really great athletes from other schools was really exciting. I like to push myself, and having a coach who allowed me to get to my max level and keep pushing was really great.”

Off the court, Chavez began her academic career as a political science major before ultimately graduating as a triple major in communication and rhetorical studies, psychology and Spanish. While the heavy workload and her athletic obligations took a large chunk out of her free time, Chavez embraced the challenge head-on, and today she is reaping the fruits of her labor.

“The second I got here I definitely felt the support of my coaches and my professors,” she said. “When they told me I had the ability to be a triple major, I was kind of iffy on it, but they told me they would work with me and I would graduate with three majors. I had some great mentors.”

Chavez graduated Illinois College on May 13, and one day later she began her new job as an admission counselor for the school. She said her desire to work at Illinois College after graduating stemmed from the appreciation she gained for the school’s programs throughout her four years in Jacksonville. She said she’s looking into higher education in order to potentially pursue a master’s degree.

“I was very glad to stay back and work at my alma mater,” Chavez said. “I loved my experience so much that I wanted to stay back and share my experience high school seniors coming in… This is definitely a place where you can get the full package.”