Merrillville resident Susan Colvin is bringing decades of swimming experience to her new position as Aquatics Coordinator at the Portage Township YMCA, 3100 Willowcreek Road.
A 1974 graduate of University of Illinois, Colvin took her first lifeguarding class in high school, working through college as a lifeguard.
After earning her Water Safety Instructor Certification, she taught swimming to hundreds of Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts across Indiana and Illinois.
She was hired as the Swim and Gym Instructor at the Harvey YMCA in 1976, and started in 2009 as a swim instructor, lifeguard and head water safety instructor at Hobart Family YMCA.
Her new position entails scheduling classes, hiring employees, and training and maintaining aquatic staff.
“I enjoy meeting the patrons and providing great quality swim instruction. My father encouraged my brothers and sister and I to develop our swimming skills in our youth,” she said.
A mother of seven, Colvin homeschooled her children over a span of 19 years.
“I was extremely disappointed with our experience with the public school for three of my children, and private school was much too expensive,” she said.
“It seemed logical that each child could be challenged at their own level and they could continue work on difficult areas until mastery.”
In addition, Colvin served for 20 years as a leader of Equestrian Express 4-H Club.
“It is a healthy social and educational program for kids in a safely controlled environment. Children are challenged to increase their skills in projects that appeal to them. The concept is learning by doing,” she said.
“There are so many things to learn before reaching adulthood. I am proud to be a small part of helping them acquire what they need.”
Married to Ronald Colvin, she attends Cornerstone Community Church in Hobart and enjoys reading, swimming, and caring for the animals on her family farm.
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