Reid Johnson, a senior and mechanical engineering major at Florida Polytechnic University, recently competed at the College Club Swimming Nationals for the second year in a row. He raced in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly during the competition held April 10-12 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Johnson will graduate on May 9 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration. He plans to continue his education through Florida Poly’s 4+1 program, pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management. He has also secured a full-time engineering position at Duke Energy, where he interned in the summer of 2025.
“It feels really good because I’ve put in a lot of hard work to be where I am right now, both in terms of athletics and in school,” he said. “This kind of success on both sides of the equation has been a huge blessing.”
Johnson said returning to nationals was the perfect way to wrap up his undergraduate years at Florida Poly after a season that included a new coach, a new training approach and a stronger finish than last year.
A native of Moscow, Idaho, Johnson said a competitive college swimming career felt natural after growing up spending much of his time in the pool. His dad swam for the University of Idaho while in college and his brothers swam for the University of Wyoming and Trinity Western University in Canada.
Florida Poly stood out to Johnson for its all-STEM curriculum and close-knit environment. While he thought his competitive swimming days were behind him, that quickly changed.
“I missed it too much, so I decided to join the club swim team they already had here,” he said.
The decision gave him both a strong academic path and a chance to return to the pool.
“I think having great academics is really, really nice, and definitely something a lot of employers look for, but having athletics on top of academics is a huge bonus,” Johnson said. “With athletics, companies are able to see that you’re willing to get uncomfortable, put in hard work, and get something done while you keep growing.”
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