Courtesy of Shawn Moran
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Two Arizona State Sun Devil divers have been plunging head-first into more than the diving well at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center during the last year. Redshirt senior David Hoffer, fresh off an All-American final season, and sophomore Frida Kaellgren were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team earlier this month.
In an environment where the student side of "student-athlete" is at some points overlooked, these two elite Sun Devil divers are immersing themselves into all aspects of the college landscape.
"It's, of course, really fun to just be recognized for the hard work you've put in, not just as a diver, but also as a student because that sometimes gets forgotten," Kaellgren said. "I think in general for me, it's very fun to be named All-Academic, but it's more important for me what I do personally."
A Sweden-native who is concluding her second year as an industrial engineering major, Kaellgren knows better than anyone that life as a student-athlete is strenuous and the most difficult part about being a collegiate student-athlete is "finding the time for everything."
Even through those struggles, Kaellgren has found a way to consistently succeed in the pool and in the classroom. With a plate already seemingly full, the sophomore diver is also a member of the Tip of the Fork cohort as well as The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Her more experienced teammate, Hoffer, graduated in the spring of 2018 with a BS in Economics as well as a BA in Business (Global Politics). Even then, Hoffer decided he wanted more. While diving this season as a graduate student, Hoffer was also in the midst of beginning his masters degree in Global Politics.
"It's a very developmental journey and I never thought I'd be the person I am now when I came into college," Hoffer said. "I was always intelligent, but I wasn't always the most academically-inclined. I didn't think I would go into a masters program when coming into college or anything like that. It kind of chisels you down to what your core values are.
"It holds your feet to the fire in a lot of ways. You determine what your values are, what your priorities are and I think it's a very valuable thing. It's definitely not an easy thing, but it's definitely worth it."
In addition to his added workload, Hoffer is also one of the exclusive members of the Institutional Design and Policy Analysis Fellowship in the office of ASU President Dr. Michael Crow.
How did this rare opportunity arise?
"It was actually just sent out in an email like halfway through my first semester," Hoffer said. "I talked to some other classmates that had been apart of the fellowship and they told me it was a really cool thing and that I would really affect some change. So, I went for it and I'm very happy to say that I got the job."
The now-retired diver is currently researching for President Crow the economies of scale in universities and how inputs and outputs will change based on quantity. Just a year removed from his BA in Economics, Hoffer is putting that knowledge to great use. Even though most projects that Hoffer conducts are requests from President Crow, he is also allowed to pitch ideas to research.
"It really depends on what the university needs," Hoffer said. "For example, the humanities programs tend to have higher returns to scale than engineering. So it may be worth investing more in those."
The self-proclaimed "super-nerd" is a member of the Tip of the Fork cohort alongside Kaellgren, which is comprised of the more exceptional student-athletes at ASU that have strived to be successful in both athletics and academics.
"(The student-athletes) may have some leadership qualities and they really cultivate that and steer it towards the Sun Devil Way of giving back to the community and always being a Sun Devil," Hoffer said.
For Sun Devil student-athletes, their respective field of competition is just a portion of their collegiate careers and what they can accomplish during their tenure on campus.
"My ultimate goal is just to find out what I want to do after college," Kaellgren said. "Branching out and seeing what I want to do and what I don't want to do, so when I'm done I know my path."
Whether a Division I student-athlete or just a normal student, the dream of expanding your own knowledge and preparing for a long life in a tremendous career that you love is one that every college attendee strives for.
Kaellgren has traveled over 5,000 miles from her home in Malmo, Sweden to discover herself as an engineer with aspirations make the world as environmentally-safe as possible.
Hoffer is wrapping up his fifth year of college with an enviable academic resume that includes working in collaboration with the president of the world's most innovative university.
All-American honors is just a feather in the cap.
"I don't think it could have worked out any better for me," Hoffer said. "Great business school, great coach, great team. I'm in a really great spot and I'm really happy with all of that."
Not to mention, great intellect.
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Two Arizona State Sun Devil divers have been plunging head-first into more than the diving well at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center during the last year. Redshirt senior David Hoffer, fresh off an All-American final season, and sophomore Frida Kaellgren were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team earlier this month.
In an environment where the student side of "student-athlete" is at some points overlooked, these two elite Sun Devil divers are immersing themselves into all aspects of the college landscape.
"It's, of course, really fun to just be recognized for the hard work you've put in, not just as a diver, but also as a student because that sometimes gets forgotten," Kaellgren said. "I think in general for me, it's very fun to be named All-Academic, but it's more important for me what I do personally."
A Sweden-native who is concluding her second year as an industrial engineering major, Kaellgren knows better than anyone that life as a student-athlete is strenuous and the most difficult part about being a collegiate student-athlete is "finding the time for everything."
Even through those struggles, Kaellgren has found a way to consistently succeed in the pool and in the classroom. With a plate already seemingly full, the sophomore diver is also a member of the Tip of the Fork cohort as well as The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Her more experienced teammate, Hoffer, graduated in the spring of 2018 with a BS in Economics as well as a BA in Business (Global Politics). Even then, Hoffer decided he wanted more. While diving this season as a graduate student, Hoffer was also in the midst of beginning his masters degree in Global Politics.
"It's a very developmental journey and I never thought I'd be the person I am now when I came into college," Hoffer said. "I was always intelligent, but I wasn't always the most academically-inclined. I didn't think I would go into a masters program when coming into college or anything like that. It kind of chisels you down to what your core values are.
"It holds your feet to the fire in a lot of ways. You determine what your values are, what your priorities are and I think it's a very valuable thing. It's definitely not an easy thing, but it's definitely worth it."
In addition to his added workload, Hoffer is also one of the exclusive members of the Institutional Design and Policy Analysis Fellowship in the office of ASU President Dr. Michael Crow.
How did this rare opportunity arise?
"It was actually just sent out in an email like halfway through my first semester," Hoffer said. "I talked to some other classmates that had been apart of the fellowship and they told me it was a really cool thing and that I would really affect some change. So, I went for it and I'm very happy to say that I got the job."
The now-retired diver is currently researching for President Crow the economies of scale in universities and how inputs and outputs will change based on quantity. Just a year removed from his BA in Economics, Hoffer is putting that knowledge to great use. Even though most projects that Hoffer conducts are requests from President Crow, he is also allowed to pitch ideas to research.
"It really depends on what the university needs," Hoffer said. "For example, the humanities programs tend to have higher returns to scale than engineering. So it may be worth investing more in those."
The self-proclaimed "super-nerd" is a member of the Tip of the Fork cohort alongside Kaellgren, which is comprised of the more exceptional student-athletes at ASU that have strived to be successful in both athletics and academics.
"(The student-athletes) may have some leadership qualities and they really cultivate that and steer it towards the Sun Devil Way of giving back to the community and always being a Sun Devil," Hoffer said.
For Sun Devil student-athletes, their respective field of competition is just a portion of their collegiate careers and what they can accomplish during their tenure on campus.
"My ultimate goal is just to find out what I want to do after college," Kaellgren said. "Branching out and seeing what I want to do and what I don't want to do, so when I'm done I know my path."
Whether a Division I student-athlete or just a normal student, the dream of expanding your own knowledge and preparing for a long life in a tremendous career that you love is one that every college attendee strives for.
Kaellgren has traveled over 5,000 miles from her home in Malmo, Sweden to discover herself as an engineer with aspirations make the world as environmentally-safe as possible.
Hoffer is wrapping up his fifth year of college with an enviable academic resume that includes working in collaboration with the president of the world's most innovative university.
All-American honors is just a feather in the cap.
"I don't think it could have worked out any better for me," Hoffer said. "Great business school, great coach, great team. I'm in a really great spot and I'm really happy with all of that."
Not to mention, great intellect.