Brandeis Magazine

Photography by Dan Holmes and Gaelen Morse

As a little girl, Maggie Shealy ’23, Heller MPP’25, was mesmerized by Captain Jack Sparrow’s sharp swordsmanship in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. “I was instantly hooked,” she says.

In March, Shealy demonstrated her own deft swordplay, winning the women’s saber event against Division I competition at the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships. She became the university’s 27th individual national champion — and the first in fencing. “It is a dream come true,” she says.

Now Shealy’s Sparrow-like poise slays her public, including “my mom, who is definitely my No. 1 fan,” she says.