Miranda Kaltenborn: A Passion for Children
1/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Jan. 25, 2011
By Natalie Dillon
Senior Miranda Kaltenborn's passions reach farther than the 100 meters of chlorinated pool in which she spends so much of her time.
A competitor in both freestyle and individual medley, Kaltenborn is not one to plop down on the couch after a long day of training. Somewhere between an impossibly full schedule, she finds time to practice the one thing she wants to do most: help.
A Psychology major and Child Studies minor at Miami University, Kaltenborn aims to become a social worker.
"I always knew I wanted to do something like that because I was never much of a math or science person," she says, "but I like being around people and helping people."
Caring for others is no new endeavor for Kaltenborn. The eldest sibling of six, Kaltenborn says she has always had a big heart for children.
"I always helped out with my whole family with so many kids, and I just like doing that sort of thing," she says.
But Kaltenborn says she is the first in her family to have an interest in social work.
"My mom always says I'm too nice for her," she says with a laugh. "My parents would always joke when I was younger that they knew I was going to be some sort of counselor. They would say, `You don't have friends, you take on cases.'"
Kaltenborn's passion for children drove her to pursue a career specifically in child social work. Hoping to gain the necessary experience, Kaltenborn enrolled in an independent study, allowing her to work with kids in underprivileged situations in the Butler County school district. Though Kaltenborn was initially unsure which area of child social work she wanted to take up, an unexpected event helped her make the decision.
Two years ago, her sister Angel was injured in an automobile accident, sending her to the hospital for over a month. Throughout the ordeal, Kaltenborn says the hospital social worker proved to be an immense help.
"She was there for my family," she says.
The social worker calmed the family and explained how the situation was not just affecting Angel, but rather her parents and siblings as well.
"We were in there for about a month and it was a rough time, but I really liked what she did" Kaltenborn says.
The experience helped a struggling Kaltenborn finally decide to focus her career on a hospital setting.
"I didn't know what branch I wanted to go into and I think that solidified it for me," she says.
As a hospital social worker, Kaltenborn says will help with family-centered issues, ranging from counseling neglected children to helping families who do not have enough money. While she looks forward to her career, Kaltenborn has made tremendous strides in the classroom. Proving that a strong showing of academics can accompany the grueling schedule of a Division I athlete, she earned a flawless 4.0 grade point average two semesters in a row and has a 3.57 career GPA.
Kaltenborn says one of her favorite aspects of Miami is the small class sizes.
"I have so many professors that I know," she says. "I will see them in Kroger or something and they know me. I have teachers who have already told me they'll write me recommendation letters for grad school and teachers who ask if I'll work in their research labs."
She says this sets her college experience apart from that of many of her friends at larger universities, and it helps her to better prepare for her career.
"I did well in the classroom, so I got asked to be in a research lab," she says. "Then that leads to an internship. Hopefully that continues."
She hopes her strong academic record, along with her experience and internships in the field, will help her be accepted to graduate school.
Describing herself as an animal-loving vegetarian, Kaltenborn says one thing she has always wanted to do is open an animal assistance or dog-therapy social work program. She says she is a high-strung person, and animals have helped in her in the past.
"It would have to be an independent practice," she says. "It would be a gamble, but I'd love to do it." Kaltenborn says she is unafraid of working independently.
"I don't really like to be alone but I'm one of those people that's taken care of myself for a long time," she says.
She likes to be in control of her own situation, she says, and that's one reason she doesn't play a team sport. Though swimming and diving is classified as an individual sport, Kaltenborn says the team has grown close.
"It's a bunch of people you probably wouldn't have hung out with other than swimming, and then you're thrown into this situation that bonds you," she says.
She attributes the team's closeness to the coaching staff. Last year the team went on a training trip, bunking in houses in small groups mixed with swimmers and divers.
"It was really fun because our sports, other than the fact we're in water, really have nothing to do with each other. It's nice to get to be a team more," she says. "I think that has been really successful over the past year."
And she says a close team on dry land will mean a successful one in the pool. At 8-1 in dual meets and ranked No. 1 in the country among Mid-Major programs, it's clear that the team's close-knit bond has paid dividends. With such a young team, she says there is a lot of room for improvement, especially if older players assume strong leadership roles.
"It's going to be a challenge because there's not very many of us compared to all of them, but I think we're up for it," she says.
Head Coach Dave Jennings calls Miranda an ideal student-athlete, one who's been productive in the pool and in the classroom.
"Miranda has been a great joy to work with over her four years at Miami," said Jennings. "She has been one of our most consistent hard workers and has been outstanding in the classroom. We have a small distance group the last couple of years and Miranda has been always up for helping the team in any event in dual meets and the Mid-American Conference Championship Meet."
After Kaltenborn graduates in May, she plans to attend graduate school to earn a master's degree in social work, opening the door to becoming a hospital social worker. But though her career goals stand in the forefront, she says she won't leave her favorite sport behind.
"I think I'm going to need a little bit of a break from the chlorine, but I don't think I could stay away from it forever," she says. "I've been doing it since I was about 8 years old, so it will always be there."
--www.MURedHawks.com--
Players Mentioned
