Holton Junior Creates Swim Program for DC Students 

Rising junior Lindsay A. '24 founded the WJA Swim Club this summer to help boys learn to swim.

In partnership with the Washington Jesuit Academy in Northeast D.C., which serves boys from low-income and underserved communities, the WJA Swim Club helped 12 fifth through eighth graders learn to swim.

After five free lessons in Lindsay's pool, the students were ready to tread water, float, and feel confident being alone in the water without assistance. They graduated on July 12 with newfound skills.

"They have really progressed and they're all a lot more comfortable and smiling in the water instead of standing there shivering, so I'm really glad I did this," Lindsay told WJLA ABC7. 

Students @WashJesAcademy are learning to swim 🏊‍♂️at no cost thanks to a program developed by Lindsay Alisbah of @HoltonArms in Bethesda. The 15-year-old started the WJA Swim Club in June and has provided swimming lessons to twelve students. pic.twitter.com/fj87WSACxn

Lindsay told Patch that she learned about WJA through her parents, who are sponsoring a student for the upcoming school year. She said that swimming is "a crucial life skill that many underprivileged kids do not get to experience."

A swimmer for as long as she can remember, Lindsay competes on Holton's swim team as well as Nation's Capital Swim Club. She recruited her friends and teammates to serve as instructors for the program, and plans to continue next summer.

"I saw an opportunity to give back to my community, and launched WJA Swim Club," she told Patch. "We hope to grow in the coming years to provide a permanent opportunity for WJA students."

Read more about Lindsay and her work at Patch and WJLA ABC7. Way to go, Lindsay!