In this episode of The Diving Pod, we sit down with Ryan Campbell, senior diver at Colorado Mesa, to talk about a path a lot of athletes can relate to—but don’t always hear enough about. Ryan walks through his time at junior college, the lessons he learned there, and how that experience shaped him both as a student and a diver before making the jump to a four-year program.

Ryan opens up about the transfer process, what he was looking for in a school, and how important it was for him to find a degree he could genuinely be passionate about—not just something that fit around diving. He shares how getting clarity academically helped him buy in even more fully to his training and growth in the sport.

From a diving standpoint, Ryan talks about continuing to push himself later in his career, taking on harder dives, and embracing the challenge of raising his degree of difficulty. He breaks down the mindset required to keep improving as a senior, the patience needed when progress isn’t linear, and what it takes to stay hungry in the pool.

This episode is a great listen for junior college divers, transfers, and anyone trying to balance long-term athletic development with finding the right academic fit—proof that there’s more than one way to build a successful college diving career.