2025–2026
Scholarship Recipients
A Beacon of Light and Hope
Pursuing education is a roadmap for recovery after traumatic injury. It is a chance to pursue a new chapter, offering student-athletes who are driven and competitive by nature, a sense of purpose, independence, and well-being. Completing a degree and excelling in the classroom is up to the individual—a path forward. We welcome you to meet our current recipients and learn more about their triumphant stories.
Charles DeGennaro
Pace University
"I believe in inspiring others with a “can do” attitude and positive thinking. I believe disabilities do not define us and I am much more than a diagnosis. I hope to continue to look forward and give back."
Read More"I would not be who and where I am today without SWM's support."
Kelli Sakaguchi
University of California, Los Angeles
"With the Swim With Mike Foundation taking care of the costs of college, I can focus on my medical needs and my education. For me, college is a milestone in my recovery. It’s a time where I can find how I fit into the world with my disability. Although it can be a struggle to keep pushing forward, my fellow recipients continually inspire me with their strength and dedication. I would not be who and where I am today without the endless support of every single person that contributes to the Ripple Effect."
Read MoreSteven Azarian
Arizona State University
"My disability does not separate me from anyone else and I don’t want it to stop me from achieving my full potential."
Read MoreEducation is the Great Equalizer:
A Path Forward for Student-Athletes to
Realize New Opportunities
The impact of an educational scholarship is two-fold: it develops the individual and it illuminates a new path after a catastrophic, life-altering event. Beginning an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral program levels the playing field and allows scholarship recipients to reimagine their future and reshape themselves as individuals. The positive energy and challenges faced in the classroom builds self-esteem, self-reliance, and the ability to achieve great success as an independent person. The university experience offers the fundamental building blocks to pursue professional passions, stimulate innovation, and move their life forward.
As student-athletes, Swim with Mike Foundation scholarship recipients are challenged to push through life-altering obstacles and serve as pillars of courage and hope for those that follow in their wake.
By supporting a campaign, you are enabling current recipients to ride the wave of the Ripple Effect where they can raise money to help future student-athletes achieve success through an academic scholarship.
