by Sebastiana Lopez, Queens Varsity Coxswain and rising senior
Being part of Row New York’s Summer Rowing Program in Queens is how I love spending my summer. Not only do I get to enjoy the flat water during early mornings, but I also get to be part of full academic enrichment classes. This year, my teammates and I had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. for five days and race. During those five days, we attended college tours, walked around the District of Columbia, and practiced on the Anacostia River. I had so much fun coxing on a new body of water and experiencing life in a completely different city with my beloved teammates!
College Tours
American University
As a rising senior, my college application process is just around the corner and my search for the perfect college has begun. This trip allowed me to tour three different universities. Our first visit was to American University. Our tour guide was my coach Breanne who is an alumnus. Enthusiastically, she showed us the various buildings that housed the different schools such as; The School of International Studies, The School of Public Affairs, and many more. I’m interested in majoring in journalism, so the building for The School of Communications really caught my attention. Seeing the classrooms in this building helped me imagine myself attending this university.
I learned that American University gives course credits to graduate and undergraduate students who complete an internship. Most students complete more than one internship because alumni connect students with their professional networks. Learning about American University’s mentoring programs and opportunities for hands-on learning assured me that I will apply in the fall.
Georgetown University
Our next stop was Georgetown University. It is located in a beautiful neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The campus was huge, and the buildings had traditional architecture. The environment of the school was overall soothing and gorgeous. The dorms were so colorful that I could spot them from a mile away. The good vibes of Georgetown University made me wonder if this school could be my home for the next four years.
The most important part of a college tour is the tour guide. Not only do they need to provide information about the school, but they must also be engaging and speak about their own experiences. I liked our tour guide; he was honest. Our tour guide was a student at the university, and he was really upbeat when he spoke about his school. He told us about the fascinating history of the university and how it was founded. Georgetown University was originally a school only for catholic students. Later on, he said, the law dictated that schools cannot require students to be of a specific religion; therefore, the university now warmingly welcomes all applicants.
Our guide told us about his experience when he applied to Georgetown. He is a first-generation college student, and the application process was challenging for him. With help from people around him, he found the perfect college to call home. My tour guide’s story made me realize the number of people around me who are willing to help me in the college application process.
George Washington University
Walking around campus definitely felt like I was walking in my dream college. The university is eco-friendly, and there was a wall of green leaves that gave a building a refreshing smell. The breeze as I entered that building was breathtaking.
Our last visit was George Washington University. I was really excited about visiting this school because of its location. George Washington University is in the center of the city surrounded by memorials, museums, and parks. Our tour guide was very welcoming as she led us to a comfortable, air-conditioned classroom. I appreciated this because the weather in Washington was in the high 90’s.
She told us that some places on campus are not only for G.W.U. students but also for the public. I was concerned that having strangers on campus would jeopardize the students’ safety, but our guide assured us that the school is safe. She told us that G.W.U is protected by many security forces such as the Washington Police Department, C.I.A., F.B.I., and others.
Next, we were shown the dorm rooms, which exceeded my expectations. The dorms were larger than I imagined they would be. My coaches were also surprised as they entered the dorms. Our tour guide filled us up with important information about meal plans, the student to teacher ratio, and existing sports teams. As I exited the building, I felt satisfied and eager to apply.
Practicing
What I enjoyed the most was practicing on a new body of water. Compared to our Meadow Lake in New York, the Anacostia River was much longer and bigger. There were a lot of new challenges I faced while practicing on the river. For example, I had trouble figuring out how to dock at a certain angle and figuring out the traffic pattern. Coaches Ashley and Breanne helped me understand which arch to use when crossing under different bridges. Since there was a lot of debris caused by massive flooding around the area, I had to be extra careful steering the boat. Since we weren’t the only crew on the water, I was also attentive to where they were going. All in all, practicing on the river was a lot of fun and a big eye-opener.
Racing
Every day, my teammates and I improved a lot from our first to our last strokes. That weekend, our team raced a pair at Capital Sprints and won second place! I was really excited for them because of how much progress they made and how quickly they adapted to the new body of water. I can conclude that we all learned a little more each day, whether it was about boat handling or about drastically settling after a power ten. My big takeaway from practicing on the Anacostia River was that not all rowable water is the same, and there is so much more to learn.
Team Bonding
My teammates and I built deeper friendships, mostly based on complaining about the heat in D.C. (just kidding!) I learned that a strong team is not only made up of strong individuals but also depends on trust between the athletes. This trip introduced us to a new level of friendship that will help us row faster in the fall season. I learned a lot about my teammates’ interests outside of rowing because we chatted a lot in the house where we stayed and while walking to our destinations. During our trip, we shared picnics, dinners and karaoke night in our rooms. When we went home after a long day, we gathered together and talked about our favorite movies, played cards and played in the game room. Every morning, I looked forward to having new conversations with my teammates, eating food prepared by my coaches, and learning new things.
Sightseeing
We visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, and many more landmarks. My favorite place was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Not only was he a prominent figure in history, but his words are still impactful. My teammates and I walked around and read the different quotes that were exhibited. We discussed that the rest of the world should appreciate his words more.
A Golden Opportunity
I absolutely loved this trip to D.C. because I learned so much in 5 days. Washington, D.C. was a beautiful place to visit. My teammates and I were very eager to visit different places every day. I am grateful for my coaches Ashley, Breanne, and Veronica for cooking the most delicious meals and my teammates for making this trip exciting. This trip was fun and very important to me because I had a golden opportunity to visit colleges that I’m interested in applying to. I hope my teammates and I take trips to new places in the future!
