Aidah Brown '26 Recruiting Profile

Four years ago, I was thrown into a lineup as a coxswain and told to steer straight and be a cheerleader for the rowers. Since then, I have learned how much more there is to coxing and have grown and developed my identity as a coxswain. The first race I truly coxed was down the course at Sarasota at the Youth National Championship. While I had some experience as a coxswain in practices, my path to becoming a coxswain was very unique. I was the first coxswain from my club to cox an 8+ at Nationals. I was also the first coxswain to do it two years in a row. I am now the top coxswain for the Varsity Women. 

I have worked to perfect my craft, vocabulary and steering in attempts of becoming a coxswain who exceeds expectations. While these things are all necessary, they are teachable. Anyone can learn how to move a string forward and backward, although it may not be with much precision. I believe my leadership, coachability, and mindset have been determinative in my success as a coxswain. My passion and love for this sport is why I dedicate countless hours to understanding the psychology of rowing, why I create presentations to teach novice coxswains at my club, and why I give it my all during every single practice. While crew is a big part of my life, I am still able to balance academics and other extracurriculars.

A foundational part of me is my drive. Since I was a child, I have always strived for excellence and perfection in everything I do. While sometimes unachievable, I never grew discouraged or considered giving up. When I saw people excelling, I promised myself I could do the same with hard work and the right attitude. I have that same mindset today. Although I challenge myself with rigorous classes, I have never ended a class with a B or lower. My cumulative weighted GPA is 4.36. My senior year class load will consist only of fully-weighted classes, as I’m on both an AP and IB diploma pathway. I am also extremely involved in my school and community. I engage in many extracurriculars and clubs, including the club I co-founded, RAD club, which provides support and aid to refugees in need. Participating in organizations like my school's newspaper and DECA reaffirm my interest in journalism and finance, which are the areas I plan to study in college. Further, my volunteer work and mission to give back to my community has shaped the person I am today. 

Each day, I remind myself of the phrase “you get out what you put in”. With everything I do, I put my absolute best into it. If I cox for your college, I promise to uphold that with both my commitment to the sport as well as academics.