By Mitch Lehman
San Marino Tribune
San Marino High School graduate Ethan Chang has enjoyed his first year at Colby College, which is located in the chilly climate of Waterville, Maine.
“NCAA swim and dive is a winter sport even though we are in a very snowy and cold winter,” said Chang. “Definitely the most memorable day was walking out to minus-48 [degree weather] right after swim practice. It’s warmed up a bit, but the temperatures here vary a lot throughout the winter.”
Chang was well-prepared for the change in temperature. Last spring when he signed his letter of intent to attend Colby, he was inundated with questions about the weather in Maine as compared to his Southern California homeland.
Meanwhile, his experience in the classroom has also been memorable.
“Colby has been amazing,” Chang said. “I have had so much fun with Colby swim and dive, both in and out of the pool. We have exceeded every single aspiration we set for ourselves and we have, frankly, shocked everyone in our conference. We as a team finished fourth overall, the highest placement in Colby swim and dive history. I am fortunate enough to be a top-16 finisher in two of my individual events at the New England Small College Athletic Conference [NESCAC] swimming championships and I am working to improve in my three more years at Colby.
“Personally, I have been fulfilling my requirements for an environmental science major as well as the pre-med requirements,” Chang added. “The classes here have been hard but also extremely engaging especially with the small class sizes. I hope to be a physician in the future.”
