First-Year Focus
After crushing two school records in swimming early in the season, Amy Warren ’21 broke her own records at the championship meet.
Amy Warren ’21, Bismarck, N.D.
Why did you choose Concordia?
I was looking into private colleges and I knew I wanted to go somewhere close to home. I liked the sense of community on the campus. The friendly individuals, amazing faculty members, and academics really set Concordia apart from other colleges. But the deciding factor was when I learned about the high acceptance rate for Concordia students into the nursing program. Overall, Concordia just felt like the right fit for me.
What makes the Concordia nursing program special?
I’m a freshman this year, so I’ll find out if I get into the nursing program in the spring of my sophomore year. Many individuals I have talked to love the nursing program and I am very excited to begin the curriculum. I have heard it’s challenging, but the faculty and staff are supportive of students. Dr. DeJong is my advisor and she made a great first impression when I met her.
How did you become interested in nursing?
My mom is a nurse, so I grew up around it. I love the combination of communicating with others and the study of medicine. I went to a conference my junior year of high school where we got to practice putting in fake IVs and that really piqued my interest. After that, I took medical classes and became a Certified Nursing Assistant when I was a high school senior. Someday, I would love to intern as a pediatric nurse at a children’s hospital. When you’re a nurse working with kids, you’re helping children get better for the rest of their lives.
Where are your favorite hangouts in Fargo-Moorhead?
I like the atmosphere at Babb’s Coffee House and FIT, and I love Starbucks coffee.
What do you love most about swimming for the Cobbers?
I love the people I have met on the team. All the girls are very encouraging to each other. Head coach Gary Fischer and assistant coach Kaylee Fischer have a good approach to their coaching style. Because college swimming has a longer season compared to high school, the coaching style has to be switched up and they both do a great job. The swimming program is a small team compared to my high school team. I like the smaller-sized team because everyone gets along and is encouraging toward each other. I love all the girls on my team.
Tell us a little about breaking two swimming records at the same meet.
I was shocked when I broke the records for the 200 and 400 IM (individual medley) at the beginning of the season. My goal was to break it at , but I was very happy with how the meet turned out.
I got a lot of support from the coaches and the girls. I get really nervous before my races and Gary could tell I was tense, so he told me just to go have fun. My opponents were upbeat and rested that day and that encouraged me to swim a little faster. Before the race began, I went out there thinking, “I’m just going out to see what happens.”
When did you realize you’d broken the record?
Definitely after the race. I usually look at the clock right after, but I was distracted by the song playing between races. It was “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. When I found out I won, it was like Christmas came early for me.
What do you most appreciate about being a student-athlete at Concordia?
I appreciate how supportive the student-athletes are to one another. I also love that everyone involved in swimming truly loves the sport.
What is your favorite class you’ve taken at Concordia?
I really enjoyed my “Hungry!” class with Dr. Barb Witteman. We volunteered at the food pantry and did service work with fourth-graders. Our big project was teaching three lesson plans to the fourth-graders on how to make different types of food with beans. A lot of families who visit the food pantry have that need. We also created a recipe book of images so people who speak a different language or can’t read could understand it. We gave the recipe book to the food pantry at the end of the class, and they’re going to hand it out. The project was a new experience. It was cool to know that our work was going to make a difference and help people feed their families.
Published March 2018