Profiles

The Perfect Match

From Chicago to Central College, Pierre Baldwin ’26 embraces opportunities to push himself and be the best person he can be. Whether he’s on the mat, in the weight room or in the classroom, Baldwin strives to make his family and his peers proud.

Baldwin was recruited to Central by Eric Van Kley, former head men’s wrestling coach and current vice president for athletics. The conversations they had throughout the recruitment process helped Baldwin quickly realize that Central wasn’t just a place for him to continue wrestling: Central was the perfect place for him to grow.

“Coach Van Kley didn’t just want me because I was a good wrestler,” Baldwin says. “He made me a better person and a better man. He continued helping me when I got to college, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a place to help me to grow outside of the sport I’m involved in.”

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Baldwin didn’t expect to have much face time with Van Kley while being recruited. He was quickly proven wrong.

“Coach Van Kley drove all the way to Chicago to meet with me and my mom,” he shares. “He probably didn’t think that was a big moment, but for me, that was big. That’s what made me choose Central.”

The lifelong relationships Baldwin has built began before he even stepped on campus. During his visit, Baldwin and his mom met with the financial aid staff to talk through opportunities to make Central even more affordable.

“My experience with Wayne Dille and Donna Newendorp in financial aid was really great,” he says. “They communicated so thoroughly and clearly with my mom about how financial aid works. They helped us with scholarships and made my mom feel more comfortable since I’m far from home. I can’t thank them enough for making my college experience possible for me.”

All new Central students are guaranteed donor-funded scholarships. For Baldwin, these awards made his dream a reality.

“Scholarships really help me a lot. I was raised by a single mother,” he says. “She helps me pay for college, so having that burden off my shoulders — and her shoulders — is a really big help. It keeps me motivated to stay in school because somebody is willing to help me go to school.”

Now at Central, Baldwin spends every hour of every day busy with classes, internship experiences and training for wrestling — and he wouldn’t have it any other way. As a strength and conditioning major, communications minor and student-athlete, Baldwin applies what he learns in the classroom in every other part of his life.

“The strengthening and conditioning major has a lot of classes to learn about the body, people’s brains and how the body can adapt to different things,” Baldwin explains. “I use all the stuff I learn in classes every day, when I go and work out or coach someone.”

“My favorite class is my practicum class,” he continues. “I’m learning from the best. Everything we learn in that practicum really happens in the weight room.”

In addition to his classwork and wrestling workouts, Baldwin is gaining additional real-world experience with his internship. Baldwin works with Central and Pella High School student-athletes as a strength and conditioning coach, helping them safely train their bodies for their sport.

Fitting in workouts like these takes extra effort on Baldwin’s part to fit it into his schedule. Lucky for him, he’s always been a morning person.

“I get up at 4 a.m. and have to be at the gym at about 5 a.m.,” he shares. “Today we worked with football underclassmen. We help them learn a lot of new things. Younger athletes are just a little bit less developed, but that’s the fun part. You have to think about how they don’t know what they don’t know. I get to help them set a foundation.”

Despite the early mornings, his class load and practices for wrestling fill the rest of his day.

“Central is preparing me every day,” Baldwin says. “It helps me be able to talk to people, learn new things, be on time, set my priorities — all of this can translate over to a career. I could go on forever about how Central is helping me toward my future.”

No matter the support that he needs, Baldwin knows that the Central community has his back.

“If you reach out for help, there’s always someone there to help you,” he says. “There are so many resources here. And every day, I learn something new. I think that’s really unique.”

As Baldwin looks ahead to what’s next, he knows that he’s being prepared by his Central education. He’ll carry the lessons he learned with him wherever he goes.

“I love it here,” Baldwin says. “It’s the best decision I ever made.”