The UA Winter Commencement ceremony will be held on Dec. 17 at 9:30 a.m. in McKale Memorial Center. Other details are available on the commencement website.

John, better known by her maiden name, Nymeyer, excelled on the UA women's swimming and diving team from 2004 until her graduation in 2009.

John graduated with a bachelor's degree in education while amassing an impressive career record including being named the 2009 NCAA Women's Athlete of the Year and winning a Silver Medal in the 400-meter Free Relay at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

A Tucson native and Mountain View High School graduate, John earned five world championship medals, including gold at the 2007 World Championships and silver at the 2009 FINA World Championships as a member of Team USA.

A two-time NCAA National Champion, John has set American, NCAA, U.S. Open and World records and is a 26-time NCAA All-American. As a two-year UA team captain, she led the swim team to its first NCAA Championship team title. She also still holds UA records in the 100 and 200-yard freestyle.

The UA awarded her the Ruby Award for top female student athlete in 2008, and the Pac-10 twice named her "Swimmer of the Year," in 2007 and 2008.

As a student-athlete, she was a four-time UA Academic Champion.

John currently is pursuing a master's in higher education at the UA and loves working with students and faculty members as the UA aquatics coordinator for Campus Recreation.

In 2010, she married Chandler John, a former basketball player at Eastern Arizona College, who now is pursuing a degree in psychology at the UA.

The couple enjoys an active lifestyle away from the competitive world and spends time with family exploring the many outdoor activities Tucson has to offer.