The senior class of LSU”s swimming and diving team excels in the pool, in the classroom and in the world.
The Lady Tigers senior class is small this year with just four women: Helen Grossman,
Nicole Rozier, Alexandria Ham and Olivia Paskulin, who are all expected to graduate in the spring of 2020.
Grossman and Rozier are both chemical engineering students, while Paskulin is a marketing major and Ham is a sports administration major.
“Being both a student athlete and engineering student is very difficult in terms of time management,” Grossman said. “Juggling both has proven to be challenging but not impossible, and it has definitely made me a hard worker.”
The athletes juggle a six-day-a-week, double-practice regimen while handling a full class load and extra tutoring sessions.
The Lady Tigers will miss at least 11 school days this school year due to competition.
“The coaches have always been understanding that engineering isn’t easy, and sometimes I need extra time away from the pool to get caught up,” Rozier said. “They always help me to feel calmer and know that, no matter what, I can always get everything done so there is no need to stress.”
As well as school work, practices and competing, the athletes have to balance other extracurricular activities such as volunteering and maintaining an active social life.
Ham was named the 2019 Southeastern Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Community Service Team. She loves to help out in the community wherever and whenever she can and is currently volunteering with a homeless ministry called Serve the City. She also volunteers with her church whenever possible.
“I was really honored that I got the community service award,” Ham said. “I just want to represent LSU to the best of my ability, and I found that investing my extra time around Baton Rouge not only brings me joy but helps a lot of other people as well.”
These women challenge their limits every day and push themselves physically, mentally and emotionally.
“My greatest achievement at LSU was my junior year at ISEC championships when I made the A final in the 100 breaststroke.” Paskulin said. “I worked really hard all season, and my hard work finally paid off.”
They strive for excellence and never give up. Their final season is fast approaching, and they are ready to take it on stronger than ever before.
“It’s hitting me that this is my last few months as a student-athlete, so I’m really using that as motivation because it will be over so soon,” Ham said.