THE REAL PAYCHECK

Yes, Batoba is thriving, to no one’s surprise, earning multiple promotions and pay raises in a frenetic four years with the Dolphins. But it’s the moments carved from personal relationships, Batoba said, that truly matter. Those times represent the real paycheck.

It’s understandable, too, considering Batoba’s journey, which saw his family flee the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo and later a post-apartheid South Africa for a new life in Texas. It was a journey that saw him rise from OSU walk-on to locker room and campus leader. It was a journey that led to him impressing so many people on the way to landing an underrated, yet vital, role with the Dolphins.

For Yves Batoba, work — like life — is personal.

“Anytime I receive a message or an email from somebody showing gratitude or somebody articulating how something I did was able to impact their life for the better, I take a screenshot of that and I put it all in this one folder,” he said. “It reminds that whenever times get tough, this is what I’m actually doing it for. It’s about being able to serve others.

“More than anything, I feel like I’m in a world of service and leadership. If I’m able to do that effectively, I know that I can always just be rewarded by keeping that as my Why.”