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For the month of December, Hunter College's women's swimming and diving competitor Charlotte Collazo has been named the CUNYAC/Hospital for Special Surgery Scholar-Athlete of the Month. This is the second time Collazo has been named Scholar-Athlete of the Month as she continues to improve both in the pool and out.
Boasting a 3.7 GPA, the sociology major plans to minor in African, Puerto Rico and Latino studies as well as psychology. Collazo believes that swimming has helped her with academics because being in the pool is a "stress-reliever" and keeps her focused.
"Charlotte is one of the hardest working swimmers I have ever coached," said co-head women's swimming and diving coach Andrew Netti. "She is willing to do anything for the success of her team and is a great teammate to her fellow swimmers."
The sprinter has placed first in every event she competed in during the month of December. On Dec. 6th, in a win against CSI, Collazo placed first in the 50 and 100 yard free, with times of 27.80 and 1:00.41, respectively. In a Hunter victory against York on December 13th, Collazo placed first in the 200 and 100 free with times of 2:18.05 and 1:01.22.
When she isn't competing for the Hawks, The Chestnut Ridge, NY native works for a swim company called "Imagine Swimming," a organization that teaches children in New York City the importance of being safe in the water. Collazo also gives swimming lessons and is a lifeguard at a local pool- she believes learning how to swim is a very important life skill for all.
"You never know when you're going to be put in a situation when you have to know how to swim," said Collazo.
For Collazo, time management and setting her priorities are key to both her academic and athletic success. She believes that swimming and schoolwork are similar because they both take a great deal of time, dedication and effort. The junior believes that as long as you work hard in both, you can excel.
"Athletics has taught me to set standards and goals high, to never give up and keep pushing," Collazo explained. "No matter if you win or lose, as long as you try your best, you can leave with no regrets."