Why did you choose to attend your institution?
When I was graduating high school, it was the start of the pandemic, and I was worried about having to go far away to college in case we were sent away mid-semester. But more importantly, Trinity was the first place that felt like home to me. I went on A LOT of college tours, and when I toured Trinity, my mom said ‘That’s the first time you’ve had a genuine smile’.
Why did you choose to be a Division III student-athlete?
When looking for colleges, I was torn between trying to decide, if I wanted to go Division I or Division III. I realized that there are so many variables involved with being in college. I knew that I wanted to be involved on campus, and pay close attention to my academics. With Division III I knew I would have the time and opportunities to participate in everything that made me happy. Because I row Division III I feel as if my sport is a community that I am a part of, while also being active in research, and a student manager at our on-campus coffee shop Peter B’s.
What’s your go-to warmup song?
Super Tuna by JIN (of BTS) & Gangnam Style by PSY
What has been your favorite class outside of your major?
Any of my language classes, I took five semesters of Mandarin, and one semester of Japanese, because I have found that the language professors here are very understanding but also willing to push you to help your understanding. I also really enjoyed Chinese, because every day we would learn something new, and at the end of each semester, I could tell that I had improved and I was able to have more and more complex conversations and read/write more interesting topics. Learning a language is so fascinating in that you go from the hellos, goodbyes, thank you’s, and then the next thing you know you are writing paragraphs, and can track your progress easily.
What internships/research projects have you participated in? What did you learn from these experiences?
At the beginning of my junior year I began doing research with my academic advisor Professor Geiss in the Environmental Science Department. During my junior year, I learned how to pack and measure soil samples for magnetic minerals. I also stayed on campus during the summer between my junior and senior years to work on a bigger project. We went out to the field and I learned how to collect a soil sample, and then processed it through various new ways in the lab on campus. From there I presented a poster on our results at the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco in December, which was an exciting opportunity and let me explore a large-scale science conference. Now I am preparing to submit my senior thesis based on this research, which brings my two years of research together.
What has been the most interesting part of your major?
The environmental science program has very unique trips that we take during the summer. I’ve been lucky enough to go on two. On the first one, we went to Utah to camp in Arches National Park and then went rafting down the Green River. Seeing the geologic formations that we talked about in class in person was interesting and fun, and fueled my interest in my major further. Last summer we went on a trip to Iceland for two weeks. We climbed the Fadgradalsfjall volcano before it erupted in July. We also saw geysers, waterfalls, and glaciers, as we backpacked the Landmannalaugar trail. The landscape was so beautiful that the whole trip felt fake, especially since we were graced with only one day of heavy rain for the whole two-week trip!
What is your favorite place on your campus, why?
My favorite spot is Peter B’s the on campus coffee shop. I love how when ever you go, there is someone you know, either working behind the counter or hanging out doing homework. There have been multiple instances where I show up and coincidentally my roommates have also ended up there as we collect as a group one by one. I also work at Peter B’s, and I love being a barista. There is a formula for each of the drinks, but also there is a little bit of creativity as we devise new drinks for the menu and experiement with different flavors, or for the thousandth time try to perfect some semblance of latte art.
Who has been the most influential person to you during your time in college, why?
I feel like the greatest influence to my time in college has been my roommates. We’ve been living together for the past two years, and we’ve made sure to always have a good time, whether it's just hanging out in the common room or supporting each other in more academic pursuits, there is always someone else who is willing to go to the library. Each day I am excited to go home (not just to be done with my day), because I get to catch up with some of my favorite people on campus. I feel as though we have become a support system for each other, and have cheered me on in all my efforts. Whether it has been showing up to race day with shirts with my face on it, or offering a quick snack that they were already making when I get home. Their influence and support makes me work harder and always appreciate how hardworking they are.
What is something interesting about you that others might not know?
I used to be a Nordic skier in high school. My two older siblings skied in both high school and college, and I was seemingly on the same track. However, I tried crew, and ended up doing crew both fall and spring with Nordic in the winters. I realized in my junior year of high school that I genuinely enjoyed rowing more, as the team aspect and people working together in a boat was a lot of fun. I am happy with my choice of college sport (as it is slightly warmer) and I love having a team where we can field four eights, such a size of team would be rare in Nordic, but I still like surprising my teammates with the knowledge that I might have gone to ski in college instead of rowing in a boat behind or in front of them.
What is something you enjoy doing when not in class or competing in your sport?
Cooking and baking in my free time has been a great outlet for stress. I have been fortunate enough to get an on campus house, which has a kitchen, which allows me to make home favorites and sweet treats for my roommates. I love making chocolate chip muffins on Sunday mornings, to get a busy studying day started right. I love making a quick bread dough to bake at night, and when all my roomates get home from their respective busy days we just eat some bread fresh from the oven with butter, and talk about about our days.
