Contact: Elliott Carr, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Jan. 23, 2017- Each student-athlete at North Central College has their own unique story to tell, perhaps none more so than sophomore men's basketball player Aiden Chang. With strong family ties to the college, some unexpected off-court interests and an ambitious career pathway, the life of this Freeport, Ill. native can only be described as a rarity. 

The Chang family lineage at North Central is strong, given his parents Rich and Joanne, as well as older sister Aubrey, are graduates of the institution. Also, his twin sister Haley is a sophomore here too.   

Despite the family connections, it was basketball that brought Chang to North Central as he immediately fell in love with the coaching staff and the environment around the team. Aiden is the only student-athlete of the Chang siblings.  

Though Aubrey and Haley can be found in Gregory Arena at the vast majority of Cardinal home games. 

When asked how much of a role family ties played in him becoming a Cardinal, Chang proclaimed "zero percent." That said, his family ties did prove to be advantageous when wanting to get a true feel of the place prior to committing. 

"My parents could offer things that have changed since their time here as well as things that were constant. Then with Aubrey, I had somewhere to stay anytime I wanted to come here [when she was a student]" he explained. "My senior year of high school, we came up for every Saturday home basketball game and I would just stay with Aubrey. Her being here helped me get a glimpse of life outside of basketball and see what that was like." 

While Aiden is the only varsity athlete of the siblings, a high level of involvement on campus and being career-oriented is common to all of them. All three siblings have worked or currently work in the Alumni Development office, while Aiden also worked in Admissions over the summer. Moreover, he is a member of the Sports Management Organization, and is a part of the American Marketing Organization. 

Aiden is quick to credit sound advice given to him by his family for his level of involvement.  

"It's about making connections and meeting people who might know someone" he said. "My dad told me it's not always what you know, but it is who you know." 

Family influence has a played a role in shaping all of Aiden's pursuits, whether they be athletic, academic or recreational. Spending his youngest years in Gurnee, Ill. and still being too young for team sports, Chang was signed up for chess by his parents. 

The game of basketball and the game of chess are not typically things you associate together, however Aiden breaks the mold as he immediately fell in love with and became addicted to the game. 

In second grade, Chang participated in a national tournament for students from second to 12th grade, with the best performers receiving full rides to college. Of the 9000 competitors, Aiden finished approximately 4000th; an impressive feat given the high level of competition and the fact that he was one of the youngest competitors in attendance. 

The lessons and skills developed during his chess years have proven to be valuable throughout his life. 

"I was a very rambunctious, anxious kid" Chang explained. "My parents were hesitant to sign me up for chess because it's such a quiet, still game. It taught me the value of being able to focus and stay still. It's helped me in the classroom and in any athletic event I've competed in." 

Chess is not the only hidden talent Chang possesses, as he was also involved in school musicals up until his sophomore year in high school, when there was no longer time for so many commitments. 

"I came from a small school and had two sisters who sang much better than I could. There were some plays they made the whole third grade class act in" Chang said. "After that I continued it and loved it! It eventually came down to having basketball for two and a half hours then having play practice for three hours and unfortunately it just wasn't going to work for me, so I had to stop." 

Again, Aiden points to his upbringing when asked about his desire to excel in such a broad range of activities. 

"It stems from my parents, I was never allowed video games so I never owned an XBOX or PS4" said Chang. "In the summertime my mom would tell us she'd lock us outside and I believed her, because we lived in a great neighborhood with tons of kids playing hockey, basketball, capture the flag or something else.  

Participation trophies were also strictly forbidden in the Chang household, and a sense of competitiveness was ingrained in the Chang children in everything they did.  

Whether it be sports, academics, jobs or any other extra-curricular activity, while always supportive, they would always try to set a higher standard for the others to reach. All of that considered, it is no coincidence Aiden and his sisters have gone above and beyond what has been asked of them in order to succeed in all of their endeavors. 

Aubrey was hired by multinational accounting firm Accenture in downtown Chicago upon graduation in spring of 2016, and there is no doubt that served as both inspiration and motivation for Aiden going forward. 

Upon graduation, Chang hopes to attend Boston University to attain a Master's Degree in Business Administration and a Law Degree. A self-proclaimed history buff, he cites the historical significance of the location along with the fresh seafood on offer as reasons for his love for the City on a Hill.  

With his time at North Central not yet half-complete, Chang's list of accomplishments and contributions to the college will only continue to grow. After all, as a Chang, he has much to live up to.  

His journey as a Cardinal continues on Wednesday, January 25 when men's basketball hosts Millikin University at 7:00 PM at Gregory Arena. Live stats and video can be found here.