Journalism \"I Knew This Is What I

Journalism

"I knew this is what I was supposed to do when I grew up," Jaeger said, wiping a flyaway hair that fell from her habit (cited by Bane). Andrea Jaeger looks a far cry from her heyday as a teen tennis phenomenon. Her traditional nun's habit reveals nothing of the athlete she once was, and that's fine for Jaeger, now 43 years old. "Looking back, Jaeger believes she never should have inhabited this world as a minor," (Clarke). Jaeger is now Sister Andrea, a member of an Anglican Dominican order in southern Colorado. "It came to me in a dream," Sister Andrea stated, wistfully (Bane). The idea had been lingering long inside the recesses of my mind. It wasn't until I met Catherine of Siena, and she gave me a tour of the monastery, that I felt the shiver run down my spine. I knew this was what I was waiting for; and here I am.

Apropos for her new digs, Sister Andrea has a self-deprecating and humble aura and attitude that belies her earlier incarnation as a tennis superstar. Jaeger went from being a fierce competitor to being a sweet sister whose life is selflessly devoted to helping sick and struggling children with the Little Star Foundation. The Foundation is Sister Andrea's "biggest concern," and the primary reason why she found solace in the Anglican order (Bane). Noting that her role as fundraiser is crucial to the survival of the organization, Jaeger also mentions that her real love is working directly with the children she helps serve.

Jaeger was once ranked number two in the world. She was perceived as arrogant and standoffish at times, her spiritual side well hidden in the cutthroat world of competitive sports. Beneath it all, even during the heat of her tennis fame, Jaeger knew she had a deeper and more meaningful calling. "God had a plan for me," Jaeger asserts with a coy smile (Bane). Her assertion bears none of the haughtiness with which a competitive athlete would have used before a big match to intimidate an opponent or appear puffed up to the media. Instead, Sister Andrea comes across as being utterly genuine and devoid of ego. "I'm not saying I'm a well-balanced human being,' Sister Andrea says with a smile and self-deprecating laugh. 'I don't have the answer to everything. I just know I love what I do. I have peace with what I do,'" (cited by Clarke). Don't take Sister Andrea's word for it. The proof is in the pudding. Sister Andrea has thrown her heart and soul into the Little Star Foundation, perhaps more so than she ever did in professional tennis. Jaeger runs camps for children with cancer and focuses on abused and at-risk children as well. She has worked with local, urban organizations that target at-risk youth for their interventions. One of those programs is Tennis and Education Foundation (Clarke). Sister Andrea strategizes by helping raise awareness for the cause, meeting with professional athletic organizations including United States Olympics Committee members.