Emily Volchansky
Emily Volchansky is a Division I student-athlete at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Pre-Medicine with a focus on building a future career in pediatrics. A dedicated and disciplined individual, Emily balances the demands of competitive collegiate swimming with a strong academic commitment. Her passion for healthcare developed at a young age and has evolved into a clear goal of working with children in a clinical setting, where she can combine her interest in medicine with her natural ability to connect with and support others.
In addition to her academic and athletic pursuits, Emily is deeply involved in service and healthcare-related volunteer work. She currently serves as a volunteer at Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, where she provides compassionate support to patients and families through engagement activities and assistance to medical staff. She also contributes as a Crisis Counselor with Crisis Text Line, offering empathetic, confidential support to individuals in need while applying de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques. Her additional experiences—including hospital volunteering, coaching youth swimmers, and community service initiatives—reflect her strong communication skills, empathy, and commitment to making a positive impact.
Emily’s background as a competitive swimmer has played a significant role in shaping her resilience, discipline, and growth mindset. A high-achieving athlete, she has earned recognition as a conference champion, state finalist, and national qualifier, demonstrating both talent and perseverance. Guided by mentors and supported by her family, she embraces challenges as opportunities for growth and values meaningful connections with others. As she continues her journey at Rutgers, Emily remains focused on expanding her knowledge, building her network, and preparing to make a lasting difference in the field of pediatric healthcare.
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick
• Honor Roll Student Throughout High School
• Conference Champion (CDC)
• Third Place in State for 100 Breaststroke
• Summer Junior Nationals Qualifier in 50 Breaststroke
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the mentors who have helped me along the way and the lessons they've taught me. My club coach, Coach Swan, really helped me grow as a person and showed me that improvement isn't always linear - that things will always fall into your path and create challenges, and those are just things that you have to work through, rather than work against. He helped me learn the importance of growth and the importance of perseverance. My brother has also been a huge supporter throughout my entire life. He's always in the stands cheering for me, he's always a phone call away whenever I need him, and having that kind of support system has been invaluable. I've learned that being able to work through challenges rather than against them, and having people who believe in you and support you, makes all the difference in achieving your goals.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I strongly believe that everybody has their own paths in life, and being able to learn from one another and connect is one of the most important things you can do. I love connecting with new people and learning about everybody's experiences. Growth and perseverance are incredibly important to me - I've learned that improvement isn't always linear and that challenges are things you work through rather than work against. Right now, I'm focused on expanding my network and my connections because I value learning from others and building meaningful relationships.