Priscilla Smith | Student

The Freedom of Learning

Since she was four years old, Priscilla Smith ’29 has spent much of her time in the pool. Like any athlete, her relationship with competitive swimming has ebbed and flowed throughout the various seasons of her life. But after moving to Indiana during her sophomore year and joining the perennially dominant swim program at Carmel High School, she began to rediscover her love for the sport, opening the possibility of continuing her career into college.

There was just one problem. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could prioritize my academics over my athletics,” says Smith. “I didn’t want swimming to be my whole life for four years.”

As much as Smith loved swimming — and as much success as she enjoyed in competition — her ultimate passion remained outside the pool.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to do pre-med,” she says. Growing up with her mother working as a nurse and her father working in healthcare administration, it’s an interest that comes naturally. “I want to be a pediatrician, but I also want to work in public health. I’ve always loved the medical environment, and I love working with kids.”

Smith ultimately chose DePauw over the other prestigious institutions she was considering, thanks in large part to the personal attention she received and the potential she saw for a highly relational learning environment.

“The professors here are amazing,” she says. “Having small classes means you're able to actually form a relationship with the professor and go in for office hours. I can have a one-on-one experience.”

Smith adds, “I never imagined myself going to liberal arts school, but on one of my visits, they told me that liberal arts just means freedom of learning. I love that at DePauw you take classes you thought you'd never take.”

One of these classes was Introduction to Global Health during Smith’s first semester on campus. She quickly fell in love with the subject, and she’s now pursuing a global health major along with a second major in biochemistry. “I didn’t plan on taking that class,” she says, “but here I am. I now realize this is something I’d like to do in the future.”

Although she remains devoted to academic and professional growth, Smith still makes time for the more social aspects of college life, investing into friendships that have given her a sense of community and belonging.

“My social life is amazing,” she says. “Within the first week of being on campus, my friend group came together. It was amazing. Everyone in our dorm is so tight it feels like a family. We're all from different places, we play different sports, we have different majors, but we're like family. We go to family dinners every week. It's really nice.”

Through it all, Smith has found a place where her identity as a person isn’t reduced to her performance in the pool. But that’s not to say she’s given up on athletic success. In just her first season as a Tiger, Smith has already etched her name into the DePauw record books, and she likely isn’t done yet.

“It’s been really fun,” says Smith. “For me personally, it’s the perfect amount of competitiveness. Our team has been getting faster and faster, and our class has brought a lot of depth to the program. I love it here.”