About Me
My name is Janis Deivs Dzirkalis, and I am majoring in professional flight. I am a student-athlete here at Purdue, and I swim for the men’s Swim & Dive team. My story starts in a small country called Latvia. I grew up there and lived there until I began my academic and athletic career overseas here at Purdue.
Before I was recruited by Purdue, I studied at Ogres Technical School, where I pursued IT alongside my high school degree while representing the swim team “Delfins.” I have many interests, but being a student-athlete and pursuing a demanding major leaves me with little free time. Outside of swimming, I enjoy riding motorcycles, cycling, and pretty much anything that has wheels. I also like playing the guitar.
In swimming, I have accomplished quite a lot. I hold multiple national records and have represented my country on big stages such as the World Championships. I continue to improve myself here at Purdue, training with one of the best swim programs in the world.
Why did you come to Purdue?
I got the idea of studying and swimming in the United States as a freshman in technical school, but I never really took a deep look at it. As I got closer to graduation, I realized that I wanted to do something different with my life than becoming an IT specialist. I knew I would go to university, but universities in Latvia don’t really have a strong athletics component. It would have been very difficult to combine academics with sports, and there are almost no scholarships available for athletes.
I knew that the United States offered both—high-level sports combined with academics, as well as scholarships for talented athletes. So, a couple of months later, I got recruited and signed with Purdue. It was the perfect option for me because it has one of the best swimming programs, offers the major I wanted, and is a prestigious university.
Goals and Plans
While at Purdue, I aim to earn all the necessary certifications required to go directly into a job with the airlines after graduation. Athletically, I will continue to work hard to become a Big Ten champion. As a freshman, I was not far from that goal—I placed 4th in the 50-yard freestyle. Therefore, my goal for the next season is to take first place.
Best memories and favorite spaces at Purdue
The first thing that comes to mind as my best memory is the time I have spent with my best friends here. Every laugh, cry, and smile with them has been priceless. I am truly grateful to have such a supportive group of friends. My favorite place at Purdue is the Krannert Building because it has quiet spaces to study.
Purdue Experiences and Memories
The best thing I have at Purdue is my swim team—we’re like one big family, and I never thought a team could be this united. One of my favorite things I’ve done here is going for a bike ride around campus at night. The streets are quiet, and the campus looks absolutely beautiful.
Advice to new Purdue students
At first, it was quite difficult for me to communicate with others and express my thoughts, but it gradually got better day by day. By the second semester, it almost started to feel like my first language. The key is not to be worried or discouraged by those initial struggles. If you keep surrounding yourself with people who speak English and actively join conversations, you’ll improve quickly and be just fine.