When Andres Tovar first heard about Indian River Community College in the mid-1990s, he was a high school swimmer in Colombia. Encouraged by teammates and his coach, he set his sights on IRCC and, after an exchange year in Minnesota, made his way to Fort Pierce to join its nationally recognized swimming program.
Tovar attended IRCC from 1997 to 1999, pursuing the engineering track before transferring to complete a degree in mechanical engineering. While academics shaped his career path, it was the swim team that defined his college experience.
“It was basically a family,” Tovar says. “Coming from another country, that sense of belonging made all the difference.”
That “family” would eventually shape his personal life, too. During a lifeguarding class on campus,
Tovar met Michelle, a fellow swimmer. The two began dating the following year and have been together ever since, even choosing to marry on the IRCC pool deck where their story began.
After graduating, Tovar and his wife built their lives in South Florida before returning to the Treasure Coast. Their connection to the college came full circle when their children dual-enrolled at the College and competed in swimming, bringing the family back to campus regularly.
Today, Tovar still visits for meets and events, often running into former teammates and coaches.
“Walking onto the pool deck brings everything back,” he says. “Those relationships and experiences stay with you.”
For Tovar, IRCC wasn’t just a stepping stone; it was the foundation for lifelong connections, a career, and a family legacy that continues to this day.