Carrie Gundersen, junior nursing and psychology major, recently received her highest honor  at the MIAC swim meet after an already outstanding swimming career: a spot at the National Swim Meet at the University of Minnesota coming up on March 18-21.

Thirteen years ago, when Carrie’s parents signed her up for swimming lessons and dropped her into the pool, they had no idea how talented she would become.

At Hopkins High School, Carrie received numerous honors. She was on the varsity team for six years and MVP for three of them. She went to the Minnesota State swim meet for five years, during four of which she ranked in the top eight, and in her junior year she placed second in the 500-yard freestyle.

Carrie maintained her dominance in the swimming arena at the collegiate level. She honored Gustavus by winning student athlete of the month for three years and the MIAC swimmer of the week three times. At the past three conference meets, Carrie won the 500 yard freestyle twice, the mile twice and placed third in the 200-yard freestyle this year.

Her first place finish in the mile won her the honor of attending Nationals and gave her the title of MIAC co-female swimmer of the year. Carrie is under a great deal of pressure for her upcoming swim at Nationals.

“It will take effort and determination to get me ready. I wish the rest of the team was with me, because they always keep me going during the regular swimming season. But I’ve worked this hard already and I’ve gone this far, so I know I can keep going,” she said. Her goal for the meet is to place within the top eight.

A well-rounded person who likes to experience many things the world has to offer, Carrie is also involved on campus. As a member of Delta Phi Omega sorority, Carrie likes the experience of meeting a “new group of fun and interesting girls,” while being a part of the Gustavus community and giving back to it as well.

As a strong believer in the benefits of the Greek system, Carrie chose the Deltas because “they stand for everything that I believe in. They do good things for the community, and they are an open-minded, caring and unique group of girls.”

Especially momentous for Carrie was this year’s Breast Cancer Benefit, which raised over $10,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. “Listening to the stories of these strong women and knowing that I contributed so much for such a good cause made me so proud of our months and months of work,” Carrie said.

The third greatest element of Carrie’s life is her future endeavor to become a nurse. Not just a nurse, but a nurse who goes out of her way to help and support her patients through even the hardest of situations. This is a personal goal resulting from the helpful and warmhearted spirit of the nurses who cared for her as a premature baby and the gratitude her parents have expressed to her for these nurses.

“I’m just so touched that these people would work so hard for me and my parents. I want to be that type of person, too,” Carrie said. “I’ve always loved learning and studying medicine, and if I get to focus more on the care of patients, that would be the best position for me.”

There is much more to Carrie’s life than swimming and nursing. She is a sucker for chick flicks, because “they always leave her happy in the end.” She has a passion for Nicholas Sparks novels, such as The Notebook, Message in a Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe, and she loves eating at the Olive Garden and Applebee’s with her friends.

Carrie promotes a balanced lifestyle as her best advice for anyone: “Get all the benefits of life. Get involved, taste everything and never limit yourself. Eventually you’ll find what you like and your place,” she said.

As a role model for strength and dedication, Carries lives by this motto: “If life weren’t challenging, it would be utterly pointless.” She said that when she is in a rough spot and feels tired-out from swimming, she thinks about why she started swimming, all the sport has given her and how happy it makes her, and she jumps right back in. She encourages everyone to strive for their goals like this.