Gemma DiRienzo '23 Recruiting Profile

I am a highly competitive, energetic, team oriented, and driven person that is passionate about many things, including rowing. I started rowing my freshman year at Langley high school. It first started as a way to try out a new sport and stay in shape however I quickly fell in love with the sport. While I played other sports, including basketball, volleyball, and soccer, when I became a rower I knew I found my sport. My favorite things about crew are the cohesiveness and bonding between teammates that develops from training and racing together as a boat.  Additionally, the sense of community and opportunities that come from crew are unmatched by any other sport. My high school team is like my family and some of my closest friendships have blossomed from rowing.  I also rowed for Resilient Rowing club during the Fall season, where I trained, raced, and made friends with other rowers that I normally compete against during the Spring season.     

I have rowed in various boats to include singles, doubles, pairs, quads, fours, and eights.  I have raced in  fours and eights, normally rowing starboard.  During my team’s annual Learn to Row Program I have introduced potential rowers to the sport, taught new rowers, and even tried out coxing.  I am a leader and mentor on my team, and aspire to be a team captain next year. As a sophomore I lettered, placed in every race, and received third place in a 1V4 at States.  Moving into my junior year I am continually improving my scores, and supporting my teammates as they also strive to improve.

In addition to crew I participate in Girl Scouts, sing in two of my school’s choirs, volunteer at church, and I am a Red Cross certified babysitter. I also enjoy baking and have won cake contests, reading, building things with my dad, hiking with my dog, kayaking, traveling to new places, and doing anything outdoors. 

In school, the classes I have excelled at throughout high school have always been the humanities. My favorite courses are english, geometry, and history, and next year I am planning to take both forensics and criminal psychology. I hope to pursue a career in the field of law as I feel that it encompases many of the skills that I enjoy. 

In conclusion, crew has been a tremendous outlet for me.  I enjoy the competition, it helps me to destress, makes me more focused in school, and it has helped