Personal Statement
I became interested in crew because my grandfather rowed at Purdue in the early 1970's. I strive to push myself every day. During the Covid-19 quarantine, when my club had to stop practicing, I rowed 20K most days and also lifted weights.
I am unique in that my freshman and first half of my sophomore year gave me a number of strong race results before all regattas were canceled because of Covid. I know how to row well, and I feel that all the emphasis on rowing singles (also brought on by Covid) has made me even better.
*As a Freshman (spring 2019), I bowed the men’s eight that finished third at SE Regionals and advanced to Nationals.
*I hold two top 6 finishes (fall 2018 and 2019) in the 4+ at Head of the Hooch (95 and 97 entries in the event).
*I placed second in the 2- and third in the 2x at the Music City Head Race last fall.
*I placed second in the 2- and stroked the 8+ to victory at Head of the South last fall.
I not only work hard with rowing, but I also strive in the classroom. I am a straight A’s AP and Honors Student and I am the vice president (and former treasurer) of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America program. I thrive on intelligent conversation and new ideas. I am fluent in Mandarin Chinese after living three years in China, spending a lot of time volunteering with the urban poor. I found living there to be difficult, but it strengthened me as a person and gave me an appreciation for other cultures, and opened my eyes to poverty.
All in all, I am always trying to improve myself in any way possible, and a good way to further that would be to attend a strong academic institution with a championship level rowing program.