The Emory Senior Spotlight Series continues with a look at current men's swimming & diving student-athlete Carlos Monteagudo.

Name: Carlos Monteagudo

Hometown (HS): Sugarland, TX (William B. Travis)

Sport: Men's Swimming & Diving

Major: Chemistry

** How did you start getting involved with swimming? How old were you when you started competing? 

I started swimming when I was 10 years old. I joined a summer league team and then I immediately joined a competitive club team that I stayed with until joining Emory. 

** Do you have any current plans for after graduation?

After graduation, I plan on attending graduate school to pursue chemical biology research and hopefully achieve a doctorate degree.

** What is one piece of advice you would give to your freshman self?

Trust the process. There will be ups and downs, but I would ultimately tell my younger self to trust the coaches that have my best interest at heart, the teammates who always have my back, and the whole experience that will help me grown as a person.

** Which Emory faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why? 

This is hard to narrow down since Emory has so many great people, but I would go with my coach, Jon Howell, because he gave me the opportunity to join the team and that has opened up so many doors for me. He's always been willing to help me with any problem I might have, and I've really appreciated that in the time I've been at Emory.

** What is one class would you retake just for fun and why? 

My freshman year I took a film class with some friends on the team, so if I had the chance, I would take that class again since I miss the camaraderie but it was also fun watching good films as part of a class.

** What is the most unique thing about your hometown? 

I'm from Sugar Land, Texas which I think is a pretty unique name.

** What is something that people may not know about you but should? 

I think people don't realize I was born in El Salvador. Although I moved to the US when I was 6 years old, my early roots trace back to Central America.

** Other than swimming, what is another one you think you could play at a high level? 

Yikes, being as uncoordinated as I am, I don't think I'd be cut out for any other sport besides swimming. I can't picture myself doing any other sport, though I could have given soccer a try...maybe. I also used to play an instrument that I stopped to focus on swimming so perhaps I would have picked that up. 

** What is one professional athlete (past or present) would you like to have a conversation with and why? 

I'd be interested in meeting the swimmer Katie Ledecky just to hear about her experience at Stanford when she was a phenomenal athlete, but also had to balance time as a student at a renowned institution.

** How have you been trying to occupy your time with given the current COVID environment? 

During quarantine I've been reading books more often than I would've otherwise. I enjoy good old fashioned sci-fi. I've also try to keep myself entertained by listening to podcasts, reading comic books, the occasional existential crisis, trying to learn a new language, and going on walks. 

** Food you hate that everybody else seems to enjoy?

I don't really enjoy spicy foods. I need meals with like a 0 rating on the Scoville Scale. If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll try some hot Cheetos but other than that, spicy food is a no-go for me.

** What would you say are your top three movies or television shows of all time?

I think the best movie of all time hands down no questions asked is The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan. Another movie that comes to mind that I really enjoy is the original Jurassic Park. Best television show is for sure The Office. 

** What is your favorite thing to do around Atlanta? 

I really enjoy walking along the Atlanta beltline. It's a scenic route with plenty of restaurants and sites to enjoy.

** What has been your most memorable moment during competition during your Eagles career? 

I've really enjoyed the mid-season meets we've had. Due to logistics, we have part of the team compete in Savannah, Georgia and the other part in Ohio, but it never ceases to amaze me how close the team is. We are constantly keeping track of how everyone is doing, hyping each other up, and having fun miles apart.

** Favorite non-athletic moment from your past few years at Emory? 

The swim team does a training trip to Florida during winter break, so my favorite non-athletic memory would be the down time at the beach and with friends during those trips. I fondly remember beach time, white elephant gift exchange, mini-donuts, and getting to know my friends better. 

** What would be one thing you'd like to impart to the underclassmen before finishing your career? 

One thing I'd tell underclassmen would be to enjoy every minute of the experience. Time does fly by, but I have absolutely no regrets about how I spent my time here. There will always be big memorable events to cherish but I would also say to pay attention to the daily routine that you may not realize you appreciate until, say, a pandemic shuts everything down. Even the little things like bottom-floor-library shenanigans, post morning practice DUC breakfast, team dinner on Fridays, and so many other things have added to my experience that have made my time at Emory so memorable. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world and I hope underclassmen, or anyone, will invest in any and every opportunity of enjoyment during their time at Emory to enjoy it as much as I have.