Mackenzie Kester

Mackenzie has been involved in swimming since a very young age. She learned to swim through Infant Swimming Resource or ISR, then joined a club swim team. She swam competitively for 18 years until recently, after swimming for four years in college at Henderson State University. Mackenzie has been coaching and teaching lessons for nine years. Teaching swim lessons and spreading awareness of water safety is extremely important to her. Mackenzie hopes to continue teaching lessons and training other young adults to inspire young children in the water. Mackenzie started Swim Station LLC in 2023 after previously teaching swim lessons in Tucson, Arizona. She is excited for the company to expand by reaching new people. She graduated in May 2024 with her Bachelor’s in Health and Human Performance and a minor in Psychology. Mackenzie is pursuing her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas. She is Water Safety Instructor (WSI) and Water Safety Instructor-Trainer (WSIT) certified and is a USA Swim Coach. Mackenzie is currently teaching lessons at the Conway location. 

Arkadelphia Instructors

Ryann Grasser

Ryann has been swimming since she can remember but started competitively at the age of 5. She has been teaching swim lessons for the last few years. She is currently in her third year on the HSU swim team. Ryann is so excited to continue teaching lessons in Arkadelphia and work with kiddos in the community! She is certified as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI). 

Madi Murray

Madi is excited to teach lessons in Arkadelphia after having previously taught lessons in Texas. She is on the Henderson State University swim team and is a Health and Human Performance major. She looks forward to making a difference in children’s lives and ensuring water safety. Madi is a certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI). 

Olivia Rodgers

Olivia is from Benton, AR and is going to be a junior at Henderson State University. She is a nursing major, as well as the president of Alpha Sigma Alpha. She is so excited to to teach lessons in Arkadelphia. She loves being able to ensure kiddo’s safety in the water by achieving their goals and having fun! She is certified as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI).

Elliana Merrill

Elli is a sophomore at Henderson State University on the NCAA swim team majoring in Elementary Education. She hopes to become a 1st grade teacher one day and loves working with kids. Swimming has always been a big part of her life and she enjoys helping kids build confidence and skills in the water. Outside of lessons, she enjoys babysitting, going to church, and spending time with friends and family. Elli is a Water Safety Instructor (WSI).

Kylie McCarty

Kylie is originally from Texas, which is where she began her swimming career. She has called Arkadelphia home for 4 years while attending HSU. She began her college career swimming for the Red Wave swim team and growing her love for teaching safe swimming. Kylie has previously taught swim lessons in Texas and is so excited to continue teaching in Arkadelphia. Kylie plans to become a professional pilot in the future! 

Emma Crowe

Emma is a pre–dental hygiene major at Henderson as well as the captain of the Henderson State swim team. She has always had a strong love for the water, and swimming has been an important part of her life for as long as she can remember. In 2023, she began teaching swim lessons, and since then she has discovered a deep passion for helping others build confidence in the water while learning essential swimming skills. She truly enjoy creating a positive, encouraging, and safe environment where swimmers of all ages can feel comfortable, have fun, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the water. Emma is Water Safety Instructor (WSI) certified. 

Conway Instructors

Kendall Fillipino

Kendall is from Conway, AR and is so excited to give back to her community by teaching lessons! She is a sophomore majoring in nursing at UCA. She has been a lifeguard for four years and previously taught swim lessons. She loves to work with all kiddos to make sure they reach their goals of being safe in the water. Kendall is also a coach for the RedWave Aquatic Team and is a USA swim coach. She loves teaching swim lessons and is certified as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI).

Catie Brewer

Catie is from Conway and she is currently a sophomore at UCA. Catie grew up around water and is excited to continue educating young swimmers. She understand the importance of water safety and can’t wait to work with children in the community. She is currently a lifeguard at the UCA HPER and is certified as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI). 

Oren Smith

Oren is a senior at UCA majoring in Nurtition Science with a double minor in chemistry and family & consumer sciences with an emphasis in child abuse prevention. Oren has been swimming since he was 4 years old, although he never took it up competitively. He is certified as an American Red Cross Lifeguard and Lifeguard Instructor in CPR/AED. He has taught lessons previously and is so excited to begin teaching in Conway. He cannot wait to work with children to ensure safety around the pool. Oren is also a certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI).

Marlena Tharnish

Marlena has a unique swimming background and is so excited to join us in teaching lessons at UCA. She learned to swim as an adult after finding an interest in triathalons after previously competing in marathons. Marlena loves to teach all people to swim from 6 months to adults. She understands how to work with kiddos, since she has 6 wonderful blessing of her own. She cannot wait to continue her love for teaching everyone how important it is to be safe in the water. She is certified as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI), as well as a lifeguard and lifeguard instructor (LGI).

Anna Marvin

Anna swam competitively during high school and has been teaching lessons for 5 years. She began teaching lessons in Northwest Arkansas, and is excited to continue teaching in Conway. She is a junior at UCA as a pre-physical therapy student. She is incredibly passionate about teaching swim safety skills and cannot wait to teach others. Anna is a lifeguard at the HPER center and is Water Safety Instructor Certified (WSI).