Morgan Schuld has recorded nine top-10 individual finishes this season and will help Toledo compete for the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championship next week in Athens, Ohio.
Rocket Spotlight on...Morgan Schuld
2/22/2024 4:20:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
On getting involved in campus activities when you are a shy person, what it's like to be a twin, and what Toledo has taught her about being a leader
Senior Morgan Schuld mostly competes in the butterfly and backstroke events on the Toledo women's swimming & diving team and is preparing for the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships next week. She is an active member of U-Tech, Students for H.O.P.E, and the Chemical Engineering Society on campus, and will be receiving a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering with minors in entrepreneurship and cosmetic science in the fall.
On what pointed her to study engineering
I always liked math and science in school and those were the things I was always best at, so I knew I wanted to do something related to those two. In high school, I started getting interested in doing cosmetic science and that side of chemical engineering, and chemistry was my favorite class. I'm very indecisive so I gave myself the broadest major to work with and go into whatever industry interests me. I still think that might be the personal care and cosmetics industry, but I'm open to anything at this point.
On her summer internships Â
I've done two co-op rotations with a company called Lubrizol, a specialty chemical additives company. Two summers ago, I lived at home in Cleveland working in one of their manufacturing plants, and then last summer I lived in Toledo and worked at one of their other manufacturing plants in Bowling Green as a Process Engineering Co-op.
This past summer I worked in a surfactant plant. Those are used in soaps and other personal care products. Coming back this year with all I learned about the surfactants and manufacturing process and then seeing how those overlapped with my cosmetics ingredients class, and then my cream chemistry class, was cool because I was learning more about the things that I had already worked with.
On giving back to the Toledo community
I like to be able to give back to Toledo because it's helped me grow so much into who I am. These opportunities have given me a space where I just know if I put myself in them, I'll succeed even if I don't picture myself doing it on the front end.Â
On her involvement with different student organizations on campus
I enjoy everything I do here with swimming and then all the different clubs I am involved in on-campus. I have been a member of U-Tech which is the University of Toledo Engineering Council, for five semesters. I've been on the executive board for two semesters and was recently elected to be the president.
I'm also a part of Students for H.O.P.E which is an on-campus group that my teammate Madison Giglio started her freshman year. It's been awesome to see her grow and be able to support her in any way I can. Recently, I was initiated into the Chemical Engineering Honors Society. It's cool because I don't see myself as someone super outgoing or who would be a leader on paper just because I'm a little bit shyer and quieter.
On how she started swimming
I have a twin sister, Mackenzie, and both of us started swimming simultaneously. My mom tells stories that at our local rec center, she'd sign us up for basketball and soccer and all these different sports, and she'd have to chase us around because we didn't want to do anything. But then our parents put us in the water, and we just loved it. We went to college and swam different events for a little bit, and now we are doing the same events again. We are different as swimmers but then somehow we always end up swimming the same events.
On deciding to attend a different college than her twin sister
Mackenzie is also a college swimmer at a D-3 program, Wittenburg, in Springfield Ohio, and is in nursing school. When we were in high school, we knew we didn't want to go to the same school. We were always Morgan and Mackenzie, and I think we needed time apart to develop as individuals. It was hard to adjust even though we both knew it would happen.
On deciding to continue swimming in college
Our parents wanted us to be college athletes just because they knew how positive of an experience it would make college for us. We are given so many resources, and they knew that we would be in good hands if we were doing college athletics. They are happy that we both stayed in Ohio because both of us had dreams of being across the country. We both realized that the programs we belonged at were here in Ohio.
On what she's learned about herself
I think I've surprised myself. When I came to college, I thought that the only way to be a leader was to have the best performance and be the best swimmer on paper. Since I've been at Toledo and grown and realized that there are other ways to contribute to the team other than being the highest-performing swimmer on paper. I think something coach Brie Globig loves to preach is that you're a human first and you can always bring something else to the table. Leadership is a lot of behind-the-scenes work too and that's where I'm more comfortable. Learning that there are other ways to contribute to being a leader and that everyone has a purpose on the team even if it is not visible on the outside.
On the annual training trips
This year we went to Puerto Rico. Even though it's extremely difficult training, it is a nice change in scenery and always puts a positive light on the second half of the season when we get back to competing in January. We have had a nice vacation that's also full of hard training and then also good mentally because we got to practice outside and be in the sun and get away from that seasonal depression.
On her favorite memories
For the last two years, my favorite memory is when we've had our mid-season meet at Cleveland State for the Magnus Cup Invitational. I think that's always been enjoyable for me because I'm from Cleveland and I grew up swimming at the Cleveland State pool. Our team has dinner at my parent's house that first night when we get there. It's always fun looking back and seeing how far I've come swimming in the pool to now.
On her message to the University of Toledo and her team
To Toledo Athletics and the team, thank you for investing in me and seeing me grow as a swimmer, as a person, as a student, as a leader, and all those things. To the other girls on the team, every moment you have is so fleeting and I think the most important thing is being able to look back on your swim career and remember all those good memories and the bonds you've made with the other girls and the friendship. Find fun in every moment. Years down the lines, you're not going to remember what time you hit at the meet or if you had a good or bad practice that day. You're going to remember the friends that you made and the memories. That is more important than the swimming part because it's being able to be part of a bigger picture.
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On what pointed her to study engineering
I always liked math and science in school and those were the things I was always best at, so I knew I wanted to do something related to those two. In high school, I started getting interested in doing cosmetic science and that side of chemical engineering, and chemistry was my favorite class. I'm very indecisive so I gave myself the broadest major to work with and go into whatever industry interests me. I still think that might be the personal care and cosmetics industry, but I'm open to anything at this point.
On her summer internships Â
I've done two co-op rotations with a company called Lubrizol, a specialty chemical additives company. Two summers ago, I lived at home in Cleveland working in one of their manufacturing plants, and then last summer I lived in Toledo and worked at one of their other manufacturing plants in Bowling Green as a Process Engineering Co-op.
This past summer I worked in a surfactant plant. Those are used in soaps and other personal care products. Coming back this year with all I learned about the surfactants and manufacturing process and then seeing how those overlapped with my cosmetics ingredients class, and then my cream chemistry class, was cool because I was learning more about the things that I had already worked with.
On giving back to the Toledo community
I like to be able to give back to Toledo because it's helped me grow so much into who I am. These opportunities have given me a space where I just know if I put myself in them, I'll succeed even if I don't picture myself doing it on the front end.Â
On her involvement with different student organizations on campus
I enjoy everything I do here with swimming and then all the different clubs I am involved in on-campus. I have been a member of U-Tech which is the University of Toledo Engineering Council, for five semesters. I've been on the executive board for two semesters and was recently elected to be the president.
I'm also a part of Students for H.O.P.E which is an on-campus group that my teammate Madison Giglio started her freshman year. It's been awesome to see her grow and be able to support her in any way I can. Recently, I was initiated into the Chemical Engineering Honors Society. It's cool because I don't see myself as someone super outgoing or who would be a leader on paper just because I'm a little bit shyer and quieter.
On how she started swimming
I have a twin sister, Mackenzie, and both of us started swimming simultaneously. My mom tells stories that at our local rec center, she'd sign us up for basketball and soccer and all these different sports, and she'd have to chase us around because we didn't want to do anything. But then our parents put us in the water, and we just loved it. We went to college and swam different events for a little bit, and now we are doing the same events again. We are different as swimmers but then somehow we always end up swimming the same events.
On deciding to attend a different college than her twin sister
Mackenzie is also a college swimmer at a D-3 program, Wittenburg, in Springfield Ohio, and is in nursing school. When we were in high school, we knew we didn't want to go to the same school. We were always Morgan and Mackenzie, and I think we needed time apart to develop as individuals. It was hard to adjust even though we both knew it would happen.
On deciding to continue swimming in college
Our parents wanted us to be college athletes just because they knew how positive of an experience it would make college for us. We are given so many resources, and they knew that we would be in good hands if we were doing college athletics. They are happy that we both stayed in Ohio because both of us had dreams of being across the country. We both realized that the programs we belonged at were here in Ohio.
On what she's learned about herself
I think I've surprised myself. When I came to college, I thought that the only way to be a leader was to have the best performance and be the best swimmer on paper. Since I've been at Toledo and grown and realized that there are other ways to contribute to the team other than being the highest-performing swimmer on paper. I think something coach Brie Globig loves to preach is that you're a human first and you can always bring something else to the table. Leadership is a lot of behind-the-scenes work too and that's where I'm more comfortable. Learning that there are other ways to contribute to being a leader and that everyone has a purpose on the team even if it is not visible on the outside.
On the annual training trips
This year we went to Puerto Rico. Even though it's extremely difficult training, it is a nice change in scenery and always puts a positive light on the second half of the season when we get back to competing in January. We have had a nice vacation that's also full of hard training and then also good mentally because we got to practice outside and be in the sun and get away from that seasonal depression.
On her favorite memories
For the last two years, my favorite memory is when we've had our mid-season meet at Cleveland State for the Magnus Cup Invitational. I think that's always been enjoyable for me because I'm from Cleveland and I grew up swimming at the Cleveland State pool. Our team has dinner at my parent's house that first night when we get there. It's always fun looking back and seeing how far I've come swimming in the pool to now.
On her message to the University of Toledo and her team
To Toledo Athletics and the team, thank you for investing in me and seeing me grow as a swimmer, as a person, as a student, as a leader, and all those things. To the other girls on the team, every moment you have is so fleeting and I think the most important thing is being able to look back on your swim career and remember all those good memories and the bonds you've made with the other girls and the friendship. Find fun in every moment. Years down the lines, you're not going to remember what time you hit at the meet or if you had a good or bad practice that day. You're going to remember the friends that you made and the memories. That is more important than the swimming part because it's being able to be part of a bigger picture.
Â
Players Mentioned
DIVE
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
FLY/ BACK
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