Before getting hurt and having surgery, junior Charlie Kephart swam for five years and loved being able to be a part of the team and have that validation. When she got hurt, she had to get surgery and miss school to recover.

After quitting a sport, some people become academically inclined.

“This sounds like a really stupid answer, but my boyfriend is a freshman in college,” Kephart said. He was always really on top of his academics,so I wanted to step it up on my academics. That was one of the reasons because when I quit swimming I didn’t get that validation anymore, so I felt like I needed to get academic validation.”

Many students struggled with the sudden change of COVID-19.

“I think Covid with online classes made me be a harder worker and realize that it’s important because I want to do something medical,” Kephart said.”

Kephart will continue her studies academically and hopes to go on to be a neurosurgeon or surgical nurse.