How I Got Here: Chase Eisenberg ’24

For this tennis ace from California, balance is the name of the game.

Words by David Pavlak

Chase Eisenberg ’24 chilling out at the TCNJ Tennis Complex.

I’m very passionate when I play tennis. I’ll do whatever it takes to win. But that has also caused a lot of mental strain. I can be very hard on myself — I’m a perfectionist.

My mom and my dad raised me to believe that balance is key in life: It’s key to success and happiness. On the tennis court, I’ve had to find the balance between wanting to win and still loving myself if I lose. My game since finding that has skyrocketed.

When life gets stressful, I like to spend hours playing my guitar or ukulele. They’re pieces of home that I brought with me. I’m a big music person — it’s an escape for me.

As much as I love California, I’m an adventurous person, so I wanted to go outside my comfort zone and prove that I could excel in a situation that I’m not used to. I wanted to come to the tri-state area to experience the different seasons and a different culture.

I was looking for a school with a good nursing program and a tennis team where I would be a starter but that had room for me to grow and push myself. That’s how I ended up at TCNJ.

Coming to TCNJ for the first time was quite nerve-racking. The college seemed so perfect that I didn’t know what I’d do if I didn’t like it. But I loved it. This was my dream school.

When I’m missing home, I pick up my guitar and play “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. It’s a song my mom sang to me growing up. It reminds me to not take life too seriously and brings me back to when I was a carefree kid in California. It keeps me grounded.

I’m a kid at heart and I think that’s the best way to look at life — through the eyes of a child. I really want to pursue pediatric oncology or pediatric emergency medicine. It’s a career where I can make a difference in people’s lives.

Picture: Bill Cardoni