Jon Solberg

Background

About Jon Solberg

Many college students find themselves struggling to answer that all-important question: “What do you want to do when you graduate?” For me, this was never a difficulty. Shortly before beginning at Kent State University, I planned to pursue my goal of running a fitness center like a mentor whom I shadowed in high school. But that all changed in the spring of 2017 when a medical diagnosis changed my view on life. For years, I struggled with supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. It was frustrating having to check myself out of basketball games or relax the dugout during baseball games due to this affliction. In February of 2017, though, I heard the worst news of my life. After a three-hour bout of tachycardia during a basketball practice, an ECG at the Cleveland Clinic revealed that I had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. My head went blank after Dr. Peter Aziz stated that sudden cardiac arrest could occur. For an 18-year-old, this was jarring news. Fortunately, a catheter ablation procedure corrected the issue and I have been healthy ever since that day. But for the couple weeks leading up to the procedure, I was on pins and needles. I had many long, deep conversations with my parents about life, spirituality, and looking for the best in a bad situation. I knew, then, that my calling was to make a difference in the lives of others. I've been described as cerebral, confident, compassionate, and tenacious. I believe these attributes make me invaluable in any position.