Pressure Is a Privilege: NJIT Swim Captain Zac Kuzak on Scholarships, Success and Paying It Forward – NJIT News |
For NJIT undergrad and men’s swim team captain Zachary Kuzak ’26, the clock starts at 5:30 a.m. each day at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center pool, always with one mantra: “pressure is a privilege.”
For Kuzak, every second counts — not just in the pool, where he’s chasing university records and his 4th America East Championships Medal — but outside the water, where he maintains a 4.0 GPA as an Albert Dorman Honors scholar FinTech major, mentors peers, volunteers with Newark youth, and advocates on student-athlete mental health issues at a national level.
He says it’s all rooted in gratitude — for the opportunity to leave his native Montreal to pursue his dreams abroad at NJIT and pay forward the support that got him here.
“I like to say, pressure is a privilege,” said Kuzak. “When we’re nervous behind the blocks before a race, it’s important to remember we’re lucky to be here. Not everyone gets to feel that.”
“It was always my plan to come to the United States because it’s a bigger market with better facilities and coaching. Realizing my dream to swim and study at a university like NJIT was huge for me.”
Raised in a single-parent household in Kirkland, Quebec — a small suburb on Montreal’s West Island — Kuzak found scholarship support critical to pursuing his dreams.
A talented 200-meter freestyle specialist coming out of high school, Kuzak had potential landing spots — including Fordham, and Georgetown, among others. But when Ron Farina, head coach of the NJIT men’s swimming and diving program, called Kuzak in fall of 2021, he quickly recognized it as a pivotal moment where everything clicked.
“When Coach Farina called and outlined the athletic and academic scholarship I’d receive, I did some quick math at my desk and basically committed on the spot,” Kuzak recalled. “Afterward, once I realized we’d be OK financially, I ran down the stairs and hugged my mom — it was a special moment.”
“It was the combination of the swimming scholarship and NJIT’s FinTech program that really interested me. It made NJIT the clear choice.”
Since, Kuzak has been key in NJIT’s Division I success, helping set swim records in the 200-freestyle relay and 4×200 yard freestyle relay in consecutive seasons. His leadership also propelled the team to a silver medal at the America East Championships and earned him a spot as a Conference Individual A Finalist in 2022-2023.
Voted captain by his peers last year, Kuzak has helped build a culture of accountability and support.
“We’re always on our group chat together … we take care of each other, eat together, study together, and make sure no one is left behind,” said Kuzak. “We want to win competitions while having the highest team GPA at NJIT this semester. That’s our goal.”
Helping Others Find Their Path
Kuzak has also become a leading voice for student-athlete well-being as one of two NJIT student reps in the America East Conference.
In that role, he is heading up mental health initiatives on campus inspired by Morgan’s Message, creating support for injured athletes facing identity struggles, and is working to bring Team Impact to NJIT, connecting teams with kids with disabilities to foster perspective and purpose.
“Nothing in my sport life is this important,” Kuzak said. “Programs like this remind you how privileged you are. It helps the team take a step back and see the bigger picture. If you can make a difference in any kid’s life, it just means everything.”
A standout student at Martin Tuchman School of Management (MTSM) who has worked as a data analyst the last two summers at RBC Wealth Management, Kuzak now mentors nearly 25 undergraduate business students and was chosen to instruct the college’s new AI bootcamp to incoming freshmen last summer.
For the past two years, he’s also volunteered with Newark’s youth alongside other prominent NJIT athletes, spending full days reading and engaging with students at local grade schools across the city.
Kuzak says the scholarships he’s received — including the 2025 Kirkland Barry Fanning Memorial Scholarship, the 2025 CFA Heloise Hamm Scholarship, and crucial scholarship support from MTSM — have empowered him to help others find their own path.
“The most rewarding thing is when a student who maybe wasn’t confident has that lightbulb moment, realizing they can do it too,” Kuzak said. “With the opportunities I’ve been given, I want to make sure I’m paying that time forward.”
“In the future, I plan to donate to the business school and the swim team. … I’m happy to give back for the help that they gave me.”
As he heads into his senior year, Kuzak has earned another distinction — a nomination by MTSM Dean Oya Tukel to be the college’s undergraduate representee at NJIT’s Celebration 2025.
“When Dean Tukel emailed me, I was over the moon,” Kuzak said. “It’s an awesome opportunity to show what scholarships can do for students like me. It’s allowed me to reach my full potential — not just as a student and athlete, but as a better person, mentor, volunteer, son, teammate and friend.
“It’s given me the chance to shine, and I want everyone to know how deeply grateful I am.”
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