William Harkins '21 Recruiting Profile

I love swimming.  I have been a competitive swimmer since the age of 10 and have loved being a part of a USA Swimming Club Team.  I am now in my junior year of high school.  I was a homeschool student through the eighth grade when, together with my family, we chose to enroll in Epic Charter Schools so that I could choose an NCAA approved curriculum that would allow me the opportunity to compete in college.  I am a member of the National Honor Society and maintain a 3.8 GPA.  

As a Native American and a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, I have been involved in the USA Swimming Diversity & Inclusion program as both a volunteer and a swimmer at the Multicultural Zones meet over the past several years and was chosen to attend the 2018 USA Diversity & Inclusion Zones Select Camp in Ohio.  I have volunteered at many events with the Sigma Gamma Rho/USA Swimming partnership "Swim 1922" initiative through my local swim club teaching many disinfranchised African American children to swim.  My swim team, KMSC, hosts an annual Native American Swim Meet that offers free lessons to Native American children in and around Oklahoma County and I have enjoyed volunteering to teach swim lessons each year since I was 13.  I am a lifeguard at my local YMCA and also a certified swim coach with the Swim America program run by my swim club, and teach lessons both private and group as my time allows.  

I am working hard to continually improve my strokes & speed under the excellent coaching staff of The King Marlin Swim Club, where I am proud to be a part of the senior level competitive team.  This December, I will be competing in the KMSC Pro Am in Lewisville, Texas and my goal is to qualify for the Spring Speedo Sectionals.  These next two years I am focused on finishing my high school graduation requirements with excellent grades, continuing to volunteer when I am able and working hard to achieve my swim goals.

I am looking for a school with a solid competitive swim program that also has a strong science program.  I plan to pursue a career in forensic pathology and become a medical examiner.  I look forward to continuing to compete while pursuing my college degree.  Upon my high school graduation it is my goal to pursue college swimming in a program where I can become the best swimmer I can be while getting an excellent education in my field of study.