Petra Kjaer '26 Recruiting Profile

I was super skeptical when my parents told me they signed me up for Milwaukee Rowing Club’s Learn to Row as the world began to emerge from the pandemic in 2021. I thought I would hate it, but after the first few days, I knew I wanted to go back the next week, and started to fall in love with the sport and the feeling of being on the water. After that week, I have gone back nearly every day for the past four years. I have worked hard to try to be the best rower I can be.  

In school, I push myself to produce work that is intellectual, substantial and beautiful. My years in Montessori and Project Based Learning schools have given me strong skills in project management and completing long term work. For example: during the second half of the last school year, I explored global conflict through the lens of the coffee trade. I worked from a proposal, through researching conflicts and the coffees exported from those regions. To complete my project, I defended my work in front of a panel of staff and experts, and presented my learning through a coffee tasting.  

I value a community that is supportive, inclusive and committed to pushing each other. I value building more than maintaining, and enjoy seeing hard work pay off.