Mrinmayee Kulkarni '24 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Mrinmayee (Mrin-mai) Kulkarni. I joined Oregon Rowing Unlimited in August of 2018. When I first joined, I was a coxswain for a good two years before I become a lightweight rower. In those two years, I forced myself to adapt to my surroundings and think on my feet and go against my previously quiet self. Now I am confident that I can give my crew exactly what they need when they need it and motivate them across the finish line with success.  As a lightweight rower, I try and push both myself and my boat every day. Focus, determination, and drive are what you will find in me. 

Even before rowing, I was extremely focused when it came to getting what I wanted. Being in Crew gives me the additional motivation to not only find inspiration myself but inspire others as well. Rowing is a team effort and I am grateful for every leadership opportunity I receive. I want to go to a school that will continue to support me in such ways and a school that creates a family and community within its rowing program. I think highly of my teammates and I think it's important that that continues. An uplifting and dedicated environment will push me to where I need to go. 

Rowing may have lit a match in my athletic life but my academic career has always been on fire. I am a very serious student. I never look at optional assignments as optional. If I set my mind to it, I will definitely get it done. Academics have always been highly enjoyable to me. I gravitate towards social studies and writing-related subjects with history being one of my favorites. To me, good grades are a positive side effect of paying attention and learning from the class. I aim to get as much information as I can from every class period. I look ahead to college and see myself as a political science major with a minor in history. I truly believe that I can make a real difference by standing up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. I want to make it to a position where I can implement my ideas for social change and I need a school that will motivate me in that. 

I have started doing my part in the way of volunteering. I volunteer in any way I can through my local recreation center. It covers a large portion of parks and centers, exposing me to schools and districts I may not have gone to myself. I genuinely enjoy volunteering. I was a counselor for an aquatic swim camp and I loved it so much that I kept signing up for sessions even after we found out that it would not count towards my volunteer hours. The environment was too amazing to give up.  I volunteer through the head center which is where I learned how to swim and play tennis. It means a lot to be able to give back to a community that has taught me since I was a toddler.