Stereotypes in movies portray athletes as students who dislike school, but 22-year-old Mitchell Paul proves that this cliché is totally wrong.
According to Paul, his proudest accomplishment is “graduating with a bachelor's in physics in only three years while competing on a Division I swim team.”
Paul’s curiosity began at a young age; he admits that his parents were convinced he would be an engineer.
“I've always been curious about the way things work. Physics has been the perfect avenue to pursue that curiosity. I love learning about why things happen the way they do in the natural world,” Paul explains. “I had this collection of matchbox cars. Instead of pretending to drive them around like most children would, I would sit there for hours and hours just organizing them. I'd sort them all by color, and then I'd sort them by make and model, and when I was finished, I would put them all very neatly back into their container.”
As far as finding similarities between his love for swim and his love for physics, Paul says, “While there's not necessarily a direct correlation between swimming and physics, both require a good work ethic and self-discipline.”
Aside from learning about the inner-workings of the universe, Paul believes that “one of the best things about being a physics major at Wright State is that physics is a small department within a fairly big school. I have enjoyed getting to know my professors, and the extent to which the department has gone to ensure that I receive the best education that they can offer is incredible.”
Although Paul doesn’t have much free time, when he finds it he says, “I like to play video games, spend time with my teammates, or catch an episode or two of my favorite shows on Netflix. I enjoy a good book now and then, and enjoy cooking even though I don't do it as often as I would like.”
Paul has big plans for his future—both academically and personally.
“One thing on my bucket list is to visit the international student-athletes that have been my teammates over the years in their home countries,” he shares. Academically, “After this year I plan on pursuing my PhD in physics. As far as a career, I would love to be a research scientist. My dream job would be to own my own research company.”
