Jonathan Chang '24 Recruiting Profile

I have been in the pool for as long as I can remember, the water practically being another home. My swimming career started at my local country club during the summer, where I learned the basics of the sport. At the young age of six, I knew that this fun activity would soon become a major passion of mine.

Eventually, I progressed enough to join a club team in the winter, further developing me as a competitive swimmer and qualifying for multiple championship meets, such as YMCA States, Junior Olympics, Mid-Atlantic Zones, Senior Champs, Sectionals and Futures. The thrill of competing at a high level against many fast swimmers pushes me to continue to work hard in and out of the water to achieve better results and meet qualifications.

I am a junior on the Cumberland Valley High School Swimming and Diving team, where I was named team captain in my sophomore year. I have achieved success at the high school level both at the Mid Penn Championships, PIAA District III Championships, and PIAA AAA States. My strongest stroke has been freestyle, however, this season, I focused on my butterfly. Through hard work and determination, I qualified for States in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly and made finals in both. 

While I am still deciding what I want to study at the next level, I am interested in biology and hoping to pursue a career in medicine. At school, I challenge myself with difficult classes and maintain academic excellence. I have taken a heavy honors and AP course load which has taught me proper time management, marking me in the top 1% of my class.

Outside of the classroom, I hold leadership roles in multiple clubs, such as the Pad Project and the Spanish Club. I have learned new leadership skills as a member of my community’s Junior Leadership Program, and I have utilized these skills on the pool deck when motivating my teammates to succeed. I also give back to my local communities as an avid volunteer as a soccer buddy for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) and as a tour guide for new students at my high school as a member of the Student Ambassadors Program.

I want to compete at the collegiate level to swim against some of the best swimmers in the nation. By being a part of a close-knit team coupled with learning from engaging coaches, I am eager to continue my passion for swimming for the next four years.