Senior Riley Fujioka wants to pursue two passions in college, both involving high-stakes competition and a dizzying display of perfectly coordinated twists, leaps, and flips. Riley will have the perfect opportunity at Georgetown University, where she will aspire towards a career in politics while committing to compete on the dive team.

When she was just ten years old, Riley decided to focus her energy on diving. She says that she has always been drawn to the ever-changing nature of the sport, where she is able to exercise her creativity without stagnating.

“I love the challenge of it,” Riley said. “[With] diving, there’s always a new dive you can learn: you can add a twist, you can change directions. I like that freeness of being able to make your own dive.”

Riley now competes for the highly-ranked Stanford Diving Club, where she has performed outstandingly, allowing her to compete at a national level. She is also a member of the school dive team. All this success has led her to participate in the sport beyond high school at a Division I level.

One aspect of athletics that stands out to Riley is the camaraderie of participating and bonding with a common group.

“I know when you go [to college] as a diver, as an athlete, you’re going to be with a team, which I thought was really good, to go into college having people to support you right away,” Riley said.

In addition to standing out in the pool, Riley is a dedicated student. At Georgetown, she will have to strike a balance between Division I athletics and the rigors of a challenging education.

“I’ve always put academics before sports,” Riley said. “I’ve also found that sports has helped me in my academics, because you have to be more disciplined with your time.”

To be able to have such an opportunity, Riley had to perform at a high level in her diving as well as in the classroom. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on school.

“A lot of people assume that if you get in for a sport you don’t have to have good grades, but it’s actually the opposite,” Riley said. “[Colleges] want to see you keep progressing in school, they want to see high test scores [and] good grades, and they also want to see you excelling in the pool.”

After verbally committing to Georgetown in October and signing a letter of intent today, Riley will have her choice of schools solidified. That means no more college applications and a big weight off her shoulders.

“It’s just nice to know [that] you’ve found your place for the next four years,” Riley said. “I think I made the right decision.”