MADISON, Wis — One top Dane County swim school hopes you won’t have to swim upstream to find your next career.
At Goldfish Swim School, you can make a big splash no matter your water comfort or experience level.
“Remember, we have to be in that position when you’re on your back right here,” Dennis Hilsenhoff told two of his students while modeling the behavior in one of his swim classes.
The Goldfish Swim School Fitchburg lifeguard and swim instructor said after retirement from the plumbing industry, he was looking for a new passion. He found it serving as a swim teacher.
“Just makes it so worth it,” Hilsenhoff said. “There’s just the rewards of helping kids overcome their fears, learn that they can swim, learn some perseverance, and you can help teach them that perseverance that will carry over into all aspects of their life.”
The triathlon athlete said he now believes anyone can learn to swim, and he credits the one-of-a-kind Goldfish curriculum.
“It’s everything, it’s so cool,” he said.
He said he was also grateful for his kind and considerate co-workers.
“I’ve worked at a lot of places over my life over 66 years and these people are phenomenal. They care about their people, they take care of them. They work with you, as far as your scheduling your needs. You’re important,” Hilsenhoff said.
Goldfish assistant general manager Kyla Williams said she worked hard to ensure the schedules were flexible for everyone.
“Everybody counts. Everybody’s voice is heard. Everybody’s opinions matter. We’re a very collaborative group here too. And I think that helps build that camaraderie in our culture,” Williams said.
And the Goldfish Swim School culture is also focused on advancement opportunities.
Leah Severtson was first hired as a Verona High School lifeguard, but she had hopes of becoming a swim teacher.
“And here you don’t need an outside certification and that really intrigued me into coming here,” Severtson said.
Now a University of Wisconsin-Madison junior, she serves as a deck supervisor and swimologist.
“And that really led me to be able to lead my team and be able to train new teachers on how to teach our swim lessons and then be able to teach them on how to teach other people,” she added.
Her general manager, Eugenia Walters, said her school prides itself on advancement opportunities.
“Not only are we on the mission to reduce childhood drowning and seeing the cool kids accomplish their goals week after week and their lessons, but we’re also training future leaders in our staff and developing them to be stronger when they move on to their future endeavors,” Walters said.
You can learn more about full-time and part-time openings, here.