This is the sixth in a series of blog posts revisiting the lives of Row New York’s graduates as a part of our 10th Year Celebration.
Veronica Castillo
Row New York Class of 2012
Queens Community College
“I needed something to… instill the idea of going to college, because before Row New York I thought it was impossible to do so.”
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I joined Row New York back in the fall of 2008, and now, almost five years later, I can honestly say that Row New York has empowered me to be an independent young woman and taught me that the main factors to accomplishing my goals are dedication, motivation, and persistency.
The day I tried out for the team seems like forever ago, but I remember it so clearly – as if it just happened last week. I joined because I didn’t want to be the typical volleyball player or softball girl. I wanted to do something different and I honestly think it was fate that I came across Row New York because it was exactly what I was looking for. I needed something to push me, to help me think about my future and instill the idea of going to college, because before Row New York I thought it was impossible to do so. Not only that but I wanted to surround myself with a diverse group of kids my age and was willing to dedicate myself to one sport and have a good time. Row New York was exactly what I was looking for.
My first couples of weeks at practice were challenging. It seemed that I would never get it and other girls were excelling so quickly. However, I met an amazing group of girls who helped motivate me to keep pushing myself. As I watched them, I said to myself “If she can do it…So can I!”
Moving forward through my novice year with that attitude, things continued to be challenging, but I considered quitting just once because I was upset I didn’t make the “fastest novice boat.” After a night of thinking about quitting I realized I loved rowing way too much to do so. So instead my approach was to just prove that I was a great rower even if I wasn’t in the fastest boat. I carried this lesson with me throughout my varsity years. I and my boatmates considered ourselves to be underdogs when we competed against top boats. Our mentality was to always “bring it,” no matter how much it hurt and even if it meant we had to push for our lives the second the race started to the second the race ended. This brought us to many Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and I will forever be proud of that and thankful that I kept my dedication to Row New York.
During my time at Row New York, I was always hungry for more improvement. One of my greatest memories is when I raced at Crash-B’s and broke my personal record for the second time. It was one of the hardest racing pieces of my rowing career but I made it through and finally got my name on the Under 8 Club list. This was a goal I set for myself the first day I sat in a boat. All the workouts, the painful burning sensation in my legs, paid off for that one race… and many more of course. But that day was my moment of victory, something I had been pushing toward for almost two years.
My sister joined Row New York in 2010, the summer before her sixth grade year. Ever since she joined Row New York, I have seen her change from my ‘fragile little sister’, to a tough young athlete who is determined to be a better person both in the classroom and at practice. Her attitude has completely changed, and since joining the program she is a well-rounded and outgoing 14 year old. We are both excited to see the big things she will do this fall when she starts her novice year, after 3 years of being on the middle school team.
I graduated from the Row New York program in June 2012, and a year later I am attending Queens Community College and working part time as an assistant rowing coach. Working with Row New York allows me to give back to my community. I thank all the coaches who kept me motivated and were mentors to me because without them, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now. Now that I am working with youth, I know I have a duty to help these young girls be as empowered as I was at Row New York. I have the honor to make a difference in these girls’ lives by helping them realize that they are amazing kids who can pursue their goals as long as they have the will to keep working hard and pushing.
Every day I feel thankful that I joined Row New York and I’m truly grateful for all of the resources they provide. Rowing has taught me to push myself in all areas of my life whether or not it has to do with athletics. I can definitely say rowing has motivated me and made me careful about the decisions I make. It makes me happy to see that my sister took the initiative to join Row New York and dedicate herself at such a young age, starting early with the process of empowerment. I believe it is important for all youth to dedicate themselves and see how they can grow into a better more positive person, allowing them to be strong minded and able to overcome any obstacles they may face.
