Justin Hawkins '16 Recruiting Profile

Last year, I enrolled in my fourth ‘new’ school district.  Prior to moving to St. Louis in July, my family has lived in Ireland, Arizona and Ohio – and each new place has come with the challenge of meeting new friends, starting fresh with new coaches, and adapting to different school cultures.  While I admit that it has been difficult to leave friends each time we move, I have also loved getting to know new people and discovering different activities and ways of thinking.

I believe that all of our moves have strengthened my work ethic and my ability to collaborate well with others.  I have found that I do well when I “jump right in” to new situations because it helps me build relationships with people who can help me overcome and learn from challenges in my life. 

Rowing has been very important to me in my transition to St. Louis.  I had never rowed before and knew nothing about the sport until we moved here last summer, but I was really interested to give it a try at our club’s “Learn to Row” camp. Needless to say, I was hooked from day one.

Since I started rowing as a novice team member in September 2014, I have decreased my 2k split by at least 50 seconds (7:33.2 to 6:40.4), rowed with our varsity fourth 8, competed and placed first in both of our novice races, and have had the opportunity to try out at the National Talent ID camp in Chicago. I am motivated by my fast progression, and I plan to continue building on this momentum by consistently crafting my technique and mental strength.

I also owe a lot to the St. Louis rowing program for providing me with additional lessons in leadership and teamwork.  It was both humbling and motivating when my coach selected me to be the captain of our team, even though I was new to both rowing and our community.  Thanks to my coaches here, my goals now extend to earning the same leadership role on the collegiate level.

I view college as another adventure that will lead to new friendships, experiences, and opportunities to develop the skills I will need to be a successful adult.  I plan to focus my studies on business entrepreneurship, management and marketing. I have found that I thrive in classes that encourage project-based learning, group conversation and collaborative work – and I believe that my tenacity and capacity for flexible thinking will be an asset in my university studies. Ultimately, I hope to use my dual Irish-American citizenship to explore business and learning opportunities abroad.

Through the moves in my life, I have learned to adapt and prove myself again and again. I am confident that this adaptability and eagerness to learn will help me make a positive contribution to my university’s rowing program and expand my own academic, social, and athletic abilities.