Emerson Wright '26 Recruiting Profile

I’m looking to row in college because I feel that I connect with everything unique about rowing.  It’s easy to say that you love a sport but it takes time and reflection to put into words why it is special to you.  For me, it comes down to what some see as the tedious side of doing the same movement over and over and over. Anyone involved in this sport knows the beauty of what a perfectly connected stroke feels like, the sound of the water rushing under the boat and the perfect click of all the oarlocks in sync.  The only thing better than that is the feeling of that connection with your teammates from putting in the hours upon hours and meters upon meters working and rowing together to find that swing and work perfectly in unison.  It is also difficult to describe to those that haven’t experienced what the rush of a boat feels like and the amount of trust in your teammates that it takes to really lay into a stroke and drive with all you have when you feel like there’s nothing left.

My goals when looking for a college is to find a school that aligns with my academic and athletic goals.  I currently am pushing myself as hard in the classroom as I do on the water and in the weight room.  I started taking A/P courses as a freshman and will be pursuing an A/P capstone project in addition to being enrolled in my school’s IB diploma program.  My main interests regarding a major are likely an engineering degree or operations management.  I want to find a school where I can explore some of these interests before deciding on a major so that as I learn more about myself and my strengths, I can choose an area of interest that matches my skillset.

Rowing is a lifelong sport and is one that I plan to be involved in as a competitor and likely as a coach on some level as I age.  It also is providing me a reason to push myself in the classroom.  I want to row in college and to do that I have to perform in the classroom given the rigor of institutions that have crew programs.  The fact that one activity reinforces the other is a blessing.  Wherever I attend college, I know that I will stive to be an asset to the crew program through my performance but also through my dedication and leadership.