Sebastian Gurd '25 Recruiting Profile

I fell in love with small, human-powered boats when I was 8 years old and learned to paddle a canoe. That was the first summer I went to summer camp in Ontario, Canada (where my parents are from). By the time I was 10, I decided I wanted to get really good at something, be great at something, so every night after dinner I'd go out on the water and solo the canoe. At first it was hard, but by the time, camp ended, I was an expert. That August, I was the youngest Kilcoo Camper ever to earn the "Chieftain" level at camp. 

Because of the canoeing, rowing came naturally to me. It's different from canoeing (way harder work, not to mention not being able to see where you're going), but I feel the same sense of ease and freedom out on the water with my team as I do solo in a canoe. I enjoy earning the trust of the others in my boat, and celebrating a win is the best. I work hard at rowing but I also work hard at school. Rowing has helped me focus and it has taught me discipline, and this has guided me through high school and the stress of grades, essays, and tests. Many of my classmates at school have struggled since the pandemic -- with depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. One day not too long ago, my Mom asked me how I had avoided those kinds of struggles. "Exercise," I said. "It's the rowing." 

I want to study architecture at university. I'm interested in design, and I enjoy problem-solving. I want to put my head and body to work both in the classroom and on the water.