#UHGrad Series: Grelz Makes Imprint on Home Away From Home

In conjunction with the University of Houston's May commencement ceremonies, UH Athletics is celebrating its standout graduates who have shined in the classroom and in the arena of competition with our #UHGrad Series.

HOUSTON – When Hedda Grelz was in search of a university home, the Swedish native and junior national champion diver set her sights on the United States for its combination of high-level academics and elite diving.

Looking to showcase her talents oversees, the Lund, Sweden, native posted videos of her dives on YouTube – catching the attention of University of Houston Diving Coach Bob Gunter – beginning a recruitment process that almost never got off the ground.

"The first time his email went to my spam, so I didn't even see it," Grelz said. "He reached out a second time and I was talking to some other schools, but I hadn't made a decision. We had several calls close together … I just thought he was one of the most approachable coaches that I was getting recruited by. He's so easy to talk to, and he also has so much experience with developing people. He's won Development Coach of the Year for all of U.S.A Diving so I knew he had a good reputation."

As Grelz began researching UH's Cullen College of Engineering, she was immediately impressed by the reputation of the undergraduate program, sparking her interest further in what she viewed as the perfect balance between academics and athletics.

"It exceeded my expectations," Grelz said of Houston's engineering program. "I was talking to some of the Ivy League coaches, but I think if I would've gone with one of those alternatives, diving would've been more of a second choice, whereas here, both have central roles."

After spending her entire life living in Lund, a town of approximately 100,000 residents, Grelz packed her bags for Houston – the Energy Capital of the World and home to 6.8 million people in the greater metro area. By comparison, Stockholm, Sweden's largest city, has approximately 1.6 million residents in its urban area.

"Seeing how huge the city was, and how many things, companies and restaurants … there's just so much stuff everywhere, so I think it was definitely a little overwhelming," Grelz said of her first impressions of the Bayou City. "I remember the first time I walked into H-E-B, and I was like wow, why are there like 40,000 things? So yeah, everything is just bigger and there's more of everything."

Instead of getting lost in her new home, Grelz thrived. After starting out as a Civil Engineering major, she transitioned to Mechanical Engineering, and became involved in Tau Beta Pi – the oldest engineering honor society in the United States – where Grelz helped revive UH's association after COVID, eventually becoming President.

"Dr. [Frank J. "Fritz"] Claydon was recruiting juniors and seniors that could take on some leadership roles to get things going again, so he reached out to me, and asked if I would be interested," Grelz said. "There's a lot of engineering societies that are major specific, but Tau Beta Pi is the one that includes all the majors, so I think that was important to me to be a part of something that was not just my major."

Grelz worked with a team of five officers to add approximately 35 new members during recruitment. To join the organization, students must be in the top one-eighth of their junior class or one-fifth of their senior class. As part of her leadership role, Tau Beta Pi put on engineering activities for local middle schools to create outreach and stimulate interest in the career field among future generations.

This spring, Grelz was named the Cullen College of Engineering's Outstanding Senior, following in the footsteps of friend, and former teammate, Elizabeth Richardson who earned the honor during 2023.

"Elizabeth has kind of been like my engineering mom," Grelz said. "She was a sophomore when I came in as a freshman, so we connected kind of right away. We studied together and she guided me through getting my first internship, getting to know professors and helping with my class planning. The fact that I could follow in her footsteps and get the same award was such a big honor."

Grelz will receive her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in the coming days and is planning to stay with Houston Swimming & Diving as a fifth year while pursuing her master's degree. In the pool, Grelz has helped the Cougars to three straight American Athletic Conference Championships and a runner-up finish in the Big 12 Conference during the program's inaugural season.

For all the academic and athletic accolades, Grelz says she is most appreciative for the friendships formed and relationships built during her undergraduate experience at the University of Houston.

"The people I've met here is what's been the most valuable for me – all my professors, my classmates, my teammates and my coaches," Grelz said. "I've enjoyed diving more than I ever have because our team atmosphere is so great. I also think that all the people from the different parts of my time here have helped me feel more secure in myself, more secure in my abilities and more secure about the things after school."

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