Abby Bergman ’18

Because I’m a neuroscience major, I’ve willingly spent much of the past semester living on the fourth floor of Sabin-Reed Hall, doing research with Professor Mary Harrington, studying various aspects of the circadian rhythms of mice. I like how focused the major is, and I like how the labs are structured so we are doing original research. I also did a Praxis internship last summer at Cedars-Sinai Hospital’s Department of Neurology, working with a doctor studying psychology interventions with multiple-sclerosis patients.

When I’m not doing science, I’m in training at the pool. I’ve been on the swim team since I got to Smith. I love the camaraderie of the team, and we’re always cheering each other on. Meeting Coach Kim Bierwert was a huge part of my decision to come to Smith. I’ve always been a dedicated swimmer, but I can doubt myself. Kim and another coach were the first to get me to believe that I could actually swim the English Channel and accomplish that as a marathon swimmer.

“I’ve been on the swim team since I got to Smith. I love the camaraderie of the team, and we’re always cheering each other on.”

The English Channel is a rite of passage for marathon swimmers. I swam the Catalina Channel (20.2 miles) in southern California; it took me 11 hours. My dream to swim the English Channel came to fruition on Tuesday, August 2, 2017, when I completed the swim in 13 hours and 15 minutes. Coach Bierwert was on the support boat, with my mom and my good friend Paige Christie ’15, who swam the Channel in August 2014. Marathon swimmers are a special breed; we think of ourselves as part of a crazy club. My next goal: swimming around Manhattan Island in New York. That’ll give me the triple crown of openwater swimming.