Swimmer Stella McCardie has just completed her freshman year at NCAA D1 University of Connecticut, where she has enjoyed a successful first season with the Huskies swimming team. A Scotland international and former pupil at St Columba’s School, she is a 14-time National Age Group champion and the reigning Scottish National Women’s Champion in the 100m Fly. She was also a silver medalist at the 2023 British National Swimming Championships.
In her first competitive meet in the US, she helped UConn to success in the 200m medley relay against reigning Big East champions Villanova, before playing a key role in the team smashing a record in the 400m medley relay at the Bucknell Invitational, while Stella has also enjoyed some individual success in the pool.
A student-athlete at one of the leading athletic programs in the country, we caught up with Stella to get her reflections on life at UConn in the early stages of her collegiate sport journey, the student-athlete experience, being part of the UConn team, and working with FirstPoint to secure her big move to the States.
How have you found the student athlete experience so far?
I love it, it is even better than I expected. If you think you love your sport, you have no idea how much you will enjoy it once you arrive at your college. You are provided with so much support and so many opportunities, and you are treated like a semi-professional athlete.
Your team become you family, and it’s so special. You spend so much time together, you experience the ups, the downs, travelling, classes; it is so easy to be with people who are as passionate and dedicated to your sport as you because you share common ground.
It is a lot of hard work. For me, I had never trained as intensely as I do until I got to the US and striking a balance of managing classes on top of your sport can be difficult. However, as an athlete we are used to hard work, and I have such a good support system surrounding me that I never stress about that.
Finally, experiencing the school spirit has to be one of the best parts. I go to UConn and our women’s basketball team became Nation Champions a month ago – campus was electric! There is so much school pride where I am it is infectious!
I love seeing people wearing UConn shirts to class, our logo is everywhere and the collective pride of being a UConn student creates such a feeling of community across the whole school. In addition, as athletes we have our own community where you can make friends from different sports and support each other at matches and games, which is a very unique student athlete experience.
What have been your competitive highlights so far in your freshman season?
A big one would have to be breaking a school record in the relay. It was the first competition where we were wearing race suits in the season, so the energy was high. It was the first event, and we smashed the record by about 7 seconds. It was so exciting and really set the tone for the meet!
I would say this highlight was also matched by winning my debut individual race for UConn. It was at our first meet of the season (which was also on my birthday), and I won the 200 Fly. It just felt like everything I had worked towards came together in that moment.
What has the experience been like from an athletic development perspective?
Being at UConn is unlike anything I have experienced in my sport before - you are treated as a professional athlete. The facilities are top of the range, and you are encouraged to use them.
You’re encouraged to buy into all the services provided, whether it be treatment, rehab or extras provided to look after your body; it made me consider my recovery a lot more, as well as what I was putting into my body and how that was helping me train.
The coaches are extremely invested in you as an athlete but also as a person. They want you and the team to succeed so are very dedicated to their craft. This commitment is also helped by the school spirit which means your team’s success is a success for the whole school. One of the best parts about being an athlete in the states is your team. You are surrounded by likeminded people who want it just as much as you. They will equally support you and push you and because you have a common goal it makes the good days sweeter and the bad days less hard.
What have been the best and most challenging aspects of being a student-athlete?
The best part for me it is being part of a team. The general experience of being a student-athlete in America is a once in a lifetime experience and shows you what it is like to compete in sports and the highest level. However, your team are with you at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, they become your family out there and I enjoy training with them and spending time with them outside of athletics.
There is no doubt that in my first year I have made friends for life. And your team isn’t just your actual team; it’s also the other athletes from different sports who are also representing your school and working just as hard in their own fields. I love being part of a community of fun, hardworking and dedicated people.
The most challenging part of being a student-athlete is adjusting to life in an entirely different continent. Many other students experience the same challenges living away for university but as a student-athlete you are held to a higher standard. You have to learn to balance school and sports whilst advocating for and looking after yourself. It can feel overwhelming at first but once you are out there you adapt so easily to the set up. Furthermore, as a student athlete there are additional support systems in place to make sure you are supported in your academics and your sport, so I never feel alone or stuck.
How did FirstPoint support you in securing your scholarship?
When I first started to get contacted by US universities it felt like a minefield. I had no idea where to start and I wasn’t sure how to measure what was a good or bad offer, or even what I should be looking for within them. FirstPoint guided me through this process offering me invaluable advice, reaching out to some colleges on my behalf. Once I had committed, they were crucial in helping me with the administration aspect of the process; from obtaining my visa to providing a packing list, FirstPoint were there every step of the way.
What part of our service was most valuable to you?
Personally, it was the help with administration and questions. At first, the forms and procedures can feel overwhelming, but FirstPoint walked me through everything. They gave me detailed instructions of how to complete each form and what was required so that everything was done correctly, meaning there were no issues once I arrived in the US. Furthermore, along with all the admin I had millions of questions ranging from how the education system differed and what life was like as a student athlete to what dining halls were like – FirstPoint had an answer to everything. Due to their support, I went across seas feeling confident and inspired.
Would you recommend our services to other athletes? Why?
Absolutely. I would not have made it to the US without FirstPoint’s help and guidance. There are so many different moving parts to becoming in student-athlete in the US and FirstPoint USA have a handle on all of them. Any questions you would have; they have the answer. Any problems you come across; they have the solution. They are so incredibly well versed and professional, it makes the process so much easier. Their service was crucial to help me to get to where I am today and I felt very looked after, even after I arrived at college, I received support and updates from them. Hearing from other athletes, the services FirstPoint provide are unmatched.
What would you say to other aspiring athletes considering a sport scholarship in the USA?
Do it! it will change your life. You have the capacity to train and compete in your sport with top tier facilities and support, and this enhances your educational experience whilst offering you a plethora of opportunities and helping you make connections. It was the scariest but best decision I have ever made! My biggest tip would be if you are thinking about coming to the US, start looking at or getting in touch with colleges your second to last year of high school. This helps guarantee you have time to consider all your options and find out what is the most important things you are looking for in a university.
If you are an aspiring athlete looking to follow in the footsteps of Stella, register your interest with FirstPoint USA today and we’ll be in touch to discuss the first steps of your sports scholarship journey!
