From Sydney to Stanford, Ellie Cole is balancing elite sport with world-class academics. The Australian Olympic platform diver recently claimed the NCAA Division I diving title while studying engineering at Stanford University, where she hopes to major in aerospace engineering. During Careers Week, Ellie shares insights into studying overseas, managing life as a student-athlete, and why engineering excites her for the future.

You are currently studying engineering at Stanford University.  Can you tell us a little about it?

I’m currently studying engineering at Stanford and hoping to major in aerospace engineering. I’ve always loved maths, physics and problem-solving, and I’ve been fascinated by how things work from a really young age. What excites me most about aerospace is that it combines creativity with technical thinking. In engineering, we’re working on problems that can genuinely shape the future, whether that’s aviation, sustainability, space exploration or new technologies.

I’m not going to lie, the maths can definitely be challenging, but I’ve always enjoyed pushing myself academically, so it feels like the perfect fit for me alongside diving.

What jobs, roles or career paths could this potentially lead to?

That’s one of the things I love about engineering — there are so many different pathways. The things that interest me are aircraft or spacecraft design, research and development, sustainability, defence, and space exploration.

At the moment, I’m keeping an open mind because Stanford exposes you to so many incredible opportunities and people. I’m excited to learn as much as I can over the next few years and see where that takes me.

Stanford is a globally renowned university and an NCAA Division I diving school. What made you want to attend Stanford?

Honestly, it was the combination of both. Stanford is one of the best universities in the world academically, particularly for engineering, but it also has such an incredible sporting culture.

As an athlete, it’s really special to be somewhere that genuinely values both academics and sport. I wanted to keep pursuing diving at the highest level while also challenging myself academically, and Stanford gave me the opportunity to do both.

How has the transition been like from Sydney schoolgirl to studying at Stanford? What do you see as the benefits, challenges and positives of the experience?

It’s definitely been a big change moving across the world from Sydney, but it’s also been really good for me. The hardest part is obviously being away from family and friends, and of course my coach, Chava Sobrino.

I’m very lucky that my Stanford coach, Pat Jeffrey, and Chava know each other well, and that I’m able to work with both of them to make sure I’m performing at my best in the pool.

At the same time, I think there’s so much growth that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. I’ve met people from all over the world and been exposed to different perspectives and experiences.

The environment at Stanford is also really motivating. Everyone is passionate about something, whether that’s sport, academics, business or research, and being surrounded by people who push themselves every day inspires you to do the same.

What would people not realise about studying in the USA?

I think people sometimes underestimate just how full-on the student-athlete lifestyle is in the US. Balancing training, travel, recovery and academics at that level definitely requires a lot of discipline and time management.

There are so many collegiate diving competitions throughout the season, and then when you add international World Aquatics competitions on top of that, you start to understand why I pretty much always have my laptop and iPad with me on planes, buses or in coffee shops, just to make sure I stay on top of my studies.

But what’s really impressive is the support system around student-athletes. There are lots of resources available academically, athletically and mentally, and universities genuinely invest in helping athletes succeed in every area of life, not just in sport.

Stanford has a number of Olympians within its ranks. What is it like living, studying and training in one place, surrounded by such a diverse and impressive group?

It’s honestly really inspiring. You’re surrounded by people who are elite in completely different fields, whether that’s Olympic sport, engineering, business or research.

What I’ve found most interesting is that despite everyone’s achievements, people are incredibly humble and driven. There’s a culture of wanting to learn and improve, and I think that pushes everyone to be better.

It creates an environment where excellence feels normal, which is really motivating.

Congratulations on an amazing result at the NCAA diving finals. What was it like competing there and winning?

Thank you! It was such an incredible experience. The NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships are very unique — there were 44 divers in my event — and there’s a huge amount of cheering and energy throughout the competition.

There’s such a strong team atmosphere behind every dive, and the support from teammates, coaches and the crowd makes it a very exciting environment to compete in.

Being combined with the swimmers is also really unique because they get behind you unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Watching everyone seated around the deck while you compete, with the entire stadium focused on you during each dive, is definitely high-pressure, but knowing that your team will always be behind you is really comforting, and I think that’s what makes the atmosphere so memorable.