With multiple records under her belt as a member of the Duquesne women’s swimming and diving team and involvement in nearly every corner of campus, Haley Scholer has another big goal to conquer—swimming in the Olympic trials this summer.
The marketing major and public relations and advertising minor from Jamison, Pa.,
isn’t just a star in the pool and a leader on deck; she also serves as an admissions
ambassador, Student Athlete Advisory Committee Member, member of Delta Sigma Pi professional
business fraternity and founding member of the campus Coffee Club.
While many of these activities came into her life at Duquesne, her love for swimming
extends back to mommy-and-me classes with her family.
“The women running the classes told my mom it seemed like my siblings and I really
liked it and recommended she put us on the swim team,” said Haley. “It just took off
from there.”
Haley’s main event is the 200-yard backstroke, and she holds Duquesne’s record. On
June 20, she’ll swim for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team at Lucas Oil Stadium, home
of the Indianapolis Colts.
With competition and practice pools built atop the turf, Haley will live out her dreams
and put hours of hard work and practice to the test. Her parents, friends and family,
and Duquesne women’s swimming head coach David Sheets will travel to Indiana to root
for her as she swims alongside some of the country’s finest athletes.
Haley is ready for the challenge. “After the collegiate season was over, I took a
week off before jumping right back into it,” she said. “At first, I was training alone,
and it was really hard. I kept reminding myself that I’m living out my dream and doing
something that not everyone gets to do.”
Duquesne teammates are always in her corner, giving Haley the focus to move forward
without narrowing her ambitions. When they heard Haley needed encouragement, they
quickly jumped in.
“They’ll practice with me to cheer me on or hop in for a little bit to swim while
I practice,” she said. “It’s been such a big help and one of the big reasons I’ve
been able to change my mindset from doubting if I could do this.”
Out of the pool, Haley excels in the classroom and values the support of Duquesne
faculty and staff who help her realize her boldest goals and accomplish more than
she could’ve imagined, even when she is frequently on the road with the team.
“We do work on the buses and in the hotel room—I always have my laptop with me. It’s
difficult, but I’ve been doing this my whole life,” she said. “What’s really great
about swimming is you're so busy that you have to be good at time management, and
I am very lucky to have a lot of resources here at Duquesne.”
After the Olympic trials, Haley plans to spend the summer doing what she loves—coaching
children at a swim camp in Texas. “It’s the closest thing you can get to a swim internship,”
she laughed.
News Information