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by Kassandra Nevarez, Row New York alumna and 2014 Danielle’s Spirit award recipient

Hello everyone! This is Kass from Temple University. I have recently finished my first year of college and it was full of studying, exploring Philly, and most recently, volunteering at PCR. PCR, short for Philadelphia City Rowing, is a middle school and high school rowing club on the Schuylkill that strives to empower public school students through the sport of rowing. Very much like Row New York, PCR brings the sport of rowing to kids who would have not had the opportunity otherwise. PCR also tutors their athletes and helps them with college applications and the like. After my experience with Row New York, I knew that I, at one point in my life, wanted to work with nonprofits. PCR was the perfect opportunity for me because I am passionate about rowing and passionate about using rowing as a tool to empower kids who might lack resources or motivation from other places.

During my brief time volunteering, I coached middle school and tutored high school students. My time at Row New York was a valuable experience that helped me jump into this task with complete confidence. Coaching was so much fun! I mostly helped coach the kids on land, and my responsibilities included coming up with workouts and leading small groups to complete those workouts. With the middle schoolers, there was never a dull moment – they’re always funny and very energetic!

One challenge I had was molding the workouts for athletes with different skill levels. I was able to conquer this because at Row New York, we often did bodyweight circuits that changed constantly, so I had many different things to try. Another challenge was holding the kids’ attention since they are always having so much fun. To do this, I carefully picked the times when I urged them to buckle down and stay on task. I most enjoyed getting to know the kids, who were very enthusiastic and immediately treated me with respect and kindness.

Tutoring was also great because I was able to help someone become confident in something she previously was not comfortable with. The girl I tutored was clearly bright and hardworking, and she was able to become more confident in algebra by walking me through problems and teaching me what she was doing. I would help her if she didn’t know her next step, but she mostly needed practice and more confidence. When she left, I felt great knowing that I showed her that she was able to solve the problems all along. Next fall, I’m looking forward to spending more time with PCR and using what I have learned from rowing and Row New York to empower these kids in every facet of their lives.

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