Kristen Vigna '20 Recruiting Profile

    I started rowing when I was a freshmen in high school, and I immediately fell in love with the sport. My favorite part of the sport is the team atmosphere. I love the feeling of pride that washes over the boat when we cross the finish line and reflect on the piece we just pulled together. I like knowing that I am not just pulling for myself, I'm pulling for every other girl in the boat. When I am not at a crew event I am most likely reading a book, playing an instrument, or doing something with Astronomy.

    I enjoy reading because it allows me to experience events and situations I would not normally find myself in. When I am reading a good book I find it difficult to do something else until I know what happens.  I really like books with a lot of action, but also some romance and drama in the mix as well. Some of my favorite books are The Maze Runner series and Eye of Minds series by James Dashner, The Hunger Games by Susan Collins, and The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.

    I play multiple different instruments. I play the piano, violin, upright bass, bass guitar, and the guitar. I have played the piano the longest, since I was 6 (currently 17). I started the violin in 4th grade and played that in the school orchestra until I was a sophomore when I taught myself the upright bass and switched. I became the only bassist in the high school music programs, and I joined the jazz ensemble where I had to teach myself the bass guitar. I am attempting to learn the guitar in my free time through the use of some apps on my phone. I also played in our High School Pitt Orchestra for the spring musical. Freshman year I played the violin for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat and Sophomore year I played the bass for Oklahoma and for Guys and Dolls. I enjoy playing in the pit orchestra because it feels like I can put my love for music and my musical abilities to good use. When I am playing in the pit my music has a purpose, and I think that’s pretty cool. I also played in a family friend's wedding the spring of freshman year.

    My babysitter when I was little introduced me to Space and Astronomy, and since then I knew that I wanted to learn all I could about them. I love spending my nights with my telescope, in the backyard or grandma's field, just looking at all the planets and stars above us. Living in Western Pennsylvania we have lots of cloudy weather. It's also cold, so I also like taking trips to the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh to their planetarium. The Planetarium gives me the chance to see the stars even when they're not out, and in a warm environment. I hope to study astronomy in college and eventually make a career as an astronomer.