Q: When did you start diving?
A: I started diving in ninth grade.

Q: How do you balance diving with school work and other interests?
A: Our coach, Gabe, lets me take off Wednesdays because I am on leadership for the gymnastics club. My choir director lets me leave Christmas Fest rehearsals early so that I can drive to practice. The main thing is communication with coaches and professors because everybody here does want you to succeed.

Q: What is one goal you have for the season and one for outside your sport?
A: My goal for the season is to foster a supportive and energetic community within the diving team. It’s really important to have good team energy when there’s only seven of us, and we’re with each other all of the time. My other goals are to create a poster presentation on my coral genetics research, prepare myself for life after St. Olaf, and enjoy senior year.

Q: What is the most fun thing about being a diver/student athlete?
A: It’s a freezing cold sport where, if you’re not dancing to have fun, you’re dancing to stay warm. We just have a lot of fun on the pool deck when we’re not actively jumping in and out of the water. We received a lot of comments from people watching the meet that their favorite part was the positive energy we had as a team. That makes me very proud.

Q: Because you are a senior, do you plan to find a way to integrate diving into your life beyond St. Olaf?
A: As I’m hoping to go to grad school for marine biology, I want to be very involved in water sports throughout my life. Whether it’s diving as in scuba diving, learning to surf, or I also really love snorkeling and doing research underwater.