DEGREES: B.A. in English, University of Mary Washington; M.A. in English, Trinity College; Ed.D. ABD in higher education leadership, Frostburg State University
JOB TITLE: Head women’s and men’s swim coach and lecturer, University of Mary Washington
FAVORITE TRINITY MEMORY: My favorite memories at Trinity were the times I got to spend working with the then-head swim coach, Kristen Noone. Kristen was and is an amazing mentor, co-worker, and friend. She taught me how to do things the right way, with class and dignity. She’s someone I will always respect and admire, and she’s someone I still turn to for advice and guidance. I will always be grateful for her and the opportunities she gave me at Trinity.
What do you do in your position? I coach both of our women’s and men’s Division III varsity swim teams and recruit for both programs. I also am a full-time faculty member within the Department of Athletics, Health, and Physical Education, and I teach courses within our sports management minor.
What do you enjoy most about your work? I really enjoy helping young women and men reach their goals; fulfill their potential, both in the pool and in the classroom; and work toward their professional goals.
You’ve been involved with the Paralympics. What have you done, and what has that experience meant to you? I have been incredibly fortunate to be involved with U.S. Paralympic Swimming since 2015. I got involved with Paralympic Swimming by pure chance. I had an athlete who is a little person/dwarf named Zach Shattuck knock on my office door when I was coaching at Frostburg State University. Zach asked if I could give him any tips on swimming as he had never swum before and wanted to compete in the Dwarf Athletic Association of America National Games that summer. I told him if he really wanted to learn, he should join our team, and we would teach him how to swim. The rest is history. Zach went on to break more than 30 Paralympic American records, and he earned a spot on Team USA for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. After working with Zach, I recruited and coached three other para swimmers on my college teams.
My work with Zach and those other athletes opened doors for me to get to travel and coach for Team USA all across the world. I’ve had the opportunity to coach meets for Team USA in England, Denmark, Singapore, and Australia. I also had the honor of serving as the head coach for Team USA at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, in 2019 and as an assistant coach at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021. These opportunities have exposed me to an incredible part of the sport of swimming that I could not have ever dreamed about. My experience working with U.S. Paralympic Swimming has become one of the most meaningful, interesting, and challenging parts of my coaching career. It has given me an opportunity to rethink the best ways to teach and strategize in the sport and to continue to learn and grow as a coach.
How did the graduate work you did at Trinity prepare you for what you do now? I always felt that being able to communicate and articulate my thoughts effectively was one of the best things my graduate work did for me. My coursework helped me to become a better writer and communicator and a more effective thinker, analyzer, and problem solver. I use all of those skills on a daily basis in my work as both a coach and an educator.
What was the most memorable course you took at Trinity? “Electric English.” I took this course with my favorite professor, Beverly Wall, and it was my favorite mostly because Dr. Wall made everything interesting and exciting. Learning was always first and foremost fun in her classes; it never felt like work or something to stress over. This class in particular showed me that writing and storytelling did not have to be boring or stale, that it could be interactive, engaging, and multimedia in form. I connected with Dr. Wall as we were both native Virginians, and she had a true love for helping her students. She showed me kindness and mentorship and was someone who offered support and caring when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer during my first year of graduate work.