Class of 2025 senior spotlight
Justin Santiago ’25 is a veritable Swiss Army Knife of a Wabash man. Few people can claim to be incredibly successful as both an academic and athlete, but Santiago manages both. He is a leader on the cross country team while also being one of the best financial economics majors on campus, but you wouldn’t hear it from him.
Justin refrains from talking himself up, but those who know him sing his praises day and night. Maybe some of this is because they know Santiago, who is self-admittedly “naturally reserved” and prefers to focus on his work, Professor of Economics Peter Mikek, who has taught Santiago in several classes, is one of those who speaks highly of him. He expressed that Santiago had characteristics that Wabash men should emulate.
“He has plenty to be confident about, but he is very humble,” Said Mikek. “You can see very strong maturity and intellect that comes through in his classes.”
In spite of his abilities as a student, Santiago brings more to the classroom than a sharp mind. He works hard and remains quiet, doing what he needs to do, time and time again. Although, that isn’t to say that he keeps to himself when his peers need help.
“I had a student who had some troubles in class, and he was talking to me in my office,” said Mikek. “I asked, ‘How can I help you?’ and he replied, ‘I’m okay, Justin’s helping me.’” said Mikek. “I just hired him to prepare some exercises for future students.”
Sometimes a student-athlete will sacrifice academic performance for athletic results, or vice-versa. Some, however, actually find that they get into a rhythm, pouring themselves into both, and finding respite from one in the other. Finding this rhythm isn’t easy, but Santiago is the rare kind of student-athlete who performs better the more packed his schedule is.
“It definitely took time at first to learn how to balance and manage my time, but going back to high school, I found that I did better academically in the semesters where I was running more, as opposed to the ones where I was injured,” said Santiago. “I think being an athlete forces you to structure your time in a way that is more responsible and keeps you accountable.”
The balance has been worth it for Justin, a member of the cross country team that won conference last year. And the trip to that conference victory, a moment he highlights as one of the most special experiences during his time at Wabash, was only made more special by the pitfalls that preceded it. The cross country team finished seventh in conference during Justin’s sophomore year, but he believes it was necessary to make the victory the year after not only sweeter, but possible in the first place.
“We were a better team than that,” said Santiago. “At that point, we really had to make a decision. Are we going to buy in and really turn this around, or be OK but not very good? We came back and everyone was healthy and in shape. We were picked fifth in the preseason conference poll and we didn’t get first place votes, but we still felt like we knew we could win, we just had to execute. That was super gratifying.”
Santiago isn’t just a member of the cross country team, but a leader on it, too. However, this has not come naturally to him, and he credits Wabash with providing him with opportunities to become a better leader. Santiago has moved into leadership roles and taken hold of them when he’s gotten the chance through Athletes in Action, a group that he revived on Wabash’s campus after it went stagnant in past years.
“Freshman year I was pretty quiet and reserved,” said Santiago. “Now, I’m pretty busy all the time in all sorts of extracurriculars and with my team. I’m in leadership positions and I have the opportunity to lead meetings. Had you told me freshman year that this is what my senior year would look like, I’d be pretty shocked. It’s cool how Wabash pushes you to become a leader, even when you don’t necessarily see it in yourself.”
As Santiago approaches the end of his time at Wabash, he seems endlessly thankful, yet unwilling to take the credit that he perhaps deserves. He doesn’t just “lead meetings,” he has “the opportunity to lead meetings.” He credits the opportunities he’s been given, thrives and remains humble throughout. It is a combination of character traits that will serve him well after Wabash.
It’s easy to say that Santiago lets the results speak for themselves, but that would imply that he wants the glory, which isn’t the case. He prefers the simple interactions and small moments as opposed to large, grandiose moments of recognition. He attributes his growth to small bits of progress, day by day, through fleeting moments of discomfort. Through his teammates on the cross country team, his roommates and his professors, Santiago has felt comfortable to grow and push himself, crediting his successes as much to his peers as to himself.