Classical Christian Academy: Jacob Ukich raises the classroom discourse ‘just by what he has to offer

Through faith and a positive attitude, Jacob Ukich learned the hard way that his identity was so much more than being a soccer player.

Ukich, who’s graduating from Classical Christian Academy, has suffered two severe injuries over the past year that have forced him to take breaks from the sport he’s been passionate about since he was 3 years old. On the surface soccer was a way to be active, but really it was a large part of his identity and a competitive outlet for him and his fraternal twin brother, Ashton.

But after suffering a stress fracture in his back and a torn ACL this past December, Jacob has learned to cope with life outside the pitch through a positive attitude and his faith.

“He’s just always put himself in anything, in soccer and academics and just in life in general. He just works hard to succeed,” said his mother, Celeste Ukich. “And then even through like these crazy injuries, he’s kept his head up and been positive. His kind of strength for a lot of this is just his relationship with the Lord and he’s used that to keep going through all this stuff that he’s had to deal with.”

His dreams of playing Division I soccer were put on hold after a stress fracture in his lower back kept him on the sidelines for six months as a junior. Ukich had felt minor discomfort ever since he suffered a minor hyperextension a few years prior, but it wasn’t until an awkward fall and collision that prompted a visit to the doctor’s office, where he was diagnosed with a pars defect. Such fractures can be a result of overuse and are a common cause of lower back pain in children. Ukich spent the ensuing three months recovering in a back brace.

“It was just a long process, and it was tough,” Ukich said. “I’m super active. My whole family is super active. And so not being able to do anything is really, really tough.”

Ukich still found ways to be around the game he loved, as he watched his brother from the sidelines during practices and games. When he wasn’t spectating, he said he rode his bike as much as he could for exercise, played the drums and focused on schoolwork, but the absence of soccer was hard for him to come to terms with.

“It was hard, especially when I broke my back because soccer was a big part of my life,” Ukich said. “And once I didn’t have it, it was hard for me to kind of cope with that.”

Ukich said his faith played a large role in coming to grips with his identity outside of being a soccer player. Growing up in a Christian household, Ukich has always been involved at his church, from attending leadership classes on Sundays since sophomore year to assisting with the production and cleanup of youth groups and camps. He’s even tied his faith with academia as well with his senior thesis, in which he makes the case for Hebrew as a language and worldview being an integral part of classical Christian education.

Along with soccer, Ukich has worked for academic excellence. He’s earned a 4.0 GPA while serving in student government. According to his literature and thesis teacher Jenna Bailey, who called Ukich “smiley,” he’s always been a kind, hardworking student and has dedicated himself to his studies.

“He’s just a great student, always thinking, always contributing in ways that matter and that are a fresh perspective,” Bailey said. “He’s always sort of bringing up the level of discussion in the classroom just by what he has to offer.”

While he recovers from his ACL injury, Ukich is set to graduate this spring before he enrolls in classes at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, where he hopes to continue his soccer career. In addition to taking Hebrew classes and being close to his aunt and second cousins who live nearby, he looks forward to the opportunity for him and his brother to grow as their own individuals after years of being inseparable, even if the transition isn’t an easy one.

“It’s scary, but at the same time, it’s like we’ve been together whole lives and it’s like, a lot of people know us as twins,” Ukich said. “I feel like there’s this part of me that hasn’t developed because I’ve always had him to lean on when I am uncomfortable. And so, I think it’d be good for me.”