Harvard is next stop for Brunswick High swimmer, who lives in Hinckley

by John Benson

Hinckley resident and Brunswick High School senior swimmer Felicia Pasadyn is looking forward to attending Harvard University, where she’ll continue her swimming career. The 100-meter backstroke state champion will join her sister, Cassandra, a state champion, at the Ivy League school.

“Being an athlete at Harvard is actually a lot harder than some people even think,” said Pasadyn, 16. “The Harvard coaches start by looking at the top 250 girls from one class in the nation. They then funnel it down. You not only have to be good at swimming, but you have to just be a well-rounded, good person.

“They really focus on not only swimming and academics but bringing something else to the table,” she said. “They’re looking for women who are intelligent, athletic and then also have that special something.”

Something special definitely describes Pasadyn, who with a 4.58 GPA, started looking at colleges last year, with Yale, Princeton, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania on her list, in addition to Harvard.

“I knew last year I wanted to go into biology, but I wasn’t sure what kind,” Pasadyn said. “I started looking at Harvard’s majors, and that’s really when I knew that school was for me. They have eight different biology majors.

“Currently I’m thinking neurobiology on a pre-med track, because I do eventually want to become a doctor.”

Pasadyn is also excited to have Cassandra, also on the Crimson women’s swimming and diving team, at school with her for two years before Cassandra graduates in 2021. Her sister Selena ran cross country and track at Harvard, and her other sister, Vanessa, runs cross country and track at Case Western Reserve University.

Swimming competitively since the age of 6, Pasadyn initially jumped into the pool because it was something her family members did. She quickly began to enjoy not only the competition, but the challenging swim practices.

While in middle school, Pasadyn set a goal that she’s continually reached during her time in high school.

“One of my long-term goals was to make it to the state meet in high school,” Pasadyn said. “I had no idea I’d not only make it, but become a state champion. I would say when I came to high school and qualified for the state meet in the 200-meter individual medley, that’s kind of when I knew from here on out I wanted to make it to the state meet.

“I had no idea I would get 10 state berths in different events then end up getting on the podium as state champion in the 100-meter backstroke. So I would say I not only met my expectations, but I probably exceeded them.”

 

Featured image photo caption: Felicia Pasadyn wants to continue her swimming career at Harvard University, where she plans to study pre-med. Photo by C. Pasadyn