DANA POINT, Calif. – Katie Faris is used to diving right in.

She starred as a 50- and 100-meter freestyler at San Clemente High, and was looking forward to taking that success with her to Boise State University.

Before she even dipped a toe in the water, however, she found out her college swimming program was eliminated as a result of cuts made due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I had actually been in Idaho the week before with my friends," Katie said. "And when my mom picked me up from the airport, I had said I could see myself living there for the rest of my life. And then the next morning I woke up and everything kind of came crashing down."

What made the news even more difficult to hear was that she didn't hear it all. Like everything else in 2020, the news was handed down virtually.

"I think the disappointing thing was the way the news was given to the kids," said Tom Faris, Katie's dad. "It wasn’t given by a coach or the athletic director. It was given through social media, and any time you give people bad news, you want to show some compassion."

So there she was, with the choice to sink or swim. That day Katie still headed to practice with her club team. Those tens of thousands of laps in the pool had ingrained in her a mentality to avoid sinking.

“I did have that thought for a while," she said. "But with all my coaches and all their support, I knew that they were going to help me find somewhere that I could call home for the next four years, and they definitely helped me do that."

With the support of her coaches and family, she began emailing other universities.

The school that got back to Katie was, in fact, the one she wanted to attend out of high school, but hadn't yet received at the time. California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo welcomed her with open arms.

“Immediately I just felt welcome at the school,” she said.

From a San Clemente Triton, to a Boise State Bronco, and now a Cal Poly Mustang — it's been an ever-changing three months, as she's also missed out on her high school prom and graduation.

But no matter what's happening on the outside, Katie never forgets the strong will that helped her persevere in one of the most physically grueling sports.

"Even when there’s hard practices and you feel like you’re not going to make it through, it’s always going to lead to a good meet and have good results in the end."