Jareline Guerrero, gold medalist several times over with Row New York.
This is the fifth in a series of blog posts revisiting the lives of Row New York’s graduates as a part of our 10th Year Celebration.
Jareline Guerrero
Row New York Class of 2011
Barnard College Class of 2015
“I learned the importance of community, having found mine in Row New York. I trust in myself to achieve whatever it is I set my mind to. I am dedicated to my goals and understand that perseverance is key to success.”
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September 26, 2008, is a day I will never forget. This was the day I took the first step towards bettering my life forever. It was the day I tried out for Row New York. The small “audition” room in the Flushing YMCA was filled with girls from all over New York City. There I was, completely terrified. I stood on line with anticipation and when it finally came time for me to put my athletic ability to the test, this spark ignited and I felt it. I felt it throughout what seemed to be the longest minute of my life. That intense, explosive moment showed me that rowing was the sport for me. I, along with 40 other girls out of hundreds, made the team and together we formed a family – and undoubtedly a life long friendship.
From then forward, the benefits and successes Row New York has given me are innumerable. I was on the team for 3 1/2 years. Those years were the best time of my life. Rowing helped me develop valuable life skills that I carry with me throughout every aspect of life to this day. The way my team and I got in boats in frigid weather and would train so hard our legs burned in school the next day built us into strong, self-empowered women. Rowing taught me that unrelenting hard work is what brings success. The emphasis on hard work through teamwork in rowing is so important to understanding the impact rowing has. Working together to make a boat go fast also depends on working on one’s own physical fitness and mental strength. You make yourself stronger to make the team as a whole faster and better.
There are so many gratifying moments from my Row New York experience that I look back to fondly thinking, “All that soreness was worth it.” The hard work was always worth it because through winning gold medals at several regattas to breaking my own personal record 3 different times and joining the elite Row New York Under 8 Club, I was transforming into a better person. I learned the value of setting goals and working to achieve them. Dedication, persistence, hard work, and being present in whatever I’m doing are lessons Row New York engrained in me. Doing technique drills in the cold rain or under the hot, beating sun forced me to concentrate and focus on only what I was doing. I was present and focused, ready to learn, train, and get faster. Rowing gave me a hunger for success that I had never felt before. Training intensely to win medals easily translated to studying intensely to make honor roll, that which I did for the first time, and continued to do, while I was on the Row New York team. I started to work towards being the best version of myself in everything I did. Row New York empowered me and gave me an indomitable will to make whatever it was I wanted for myself a reality. I learned to trust in myself and my abilities. This is most evident in my acceptance into Barnard College, the all women’s college of Columbia University.
Row New York’s academics program offered free SAT prep, which I would not have been able to afford otherwise. It provided us with expensive calculators and tutors. I set the goal of attending Barnard College, and I told myself I would do everything I could to get in. I went to SAT prep classes, worked harder in school, and received tutoring in Physics, Chemistry, and Trigonometry. The Row New York staff, some of the most caring, hardworking, diligent, and overall amazing people I have ever met, were there every step of the way to help me with writing and editing my supplements, filling out the FAFSA, as well as editing my college essay, amongst so many other things. Without Row New York, I would have been applying to college on my own. My school guidance counselor was in charge of 50 other students, and my parents were completely unfamiliar with the process. Also, without Row New York, I would not have been able to afford all of the expenses it took to apply to college. From SAT fees, application fees, SAT II fees, and CSS Profile fees, the overall cost was too much for my family, struggling already to pay for my high school education.
Row New York aided in paying for my acceptance into college and for that I am forever grateful. The Row New York staff possessed a clear desire to see me and my teammates do well, both on the water and in the classroom. We were pushed to work hard and execute and that is why I attribute my acceptance into Barnard College to Row New York and the sport of rowing.
There is no doubt that I am a better person today because of Row New York. I learned the importance of community, having found mine in Row New York. I trust in myself to achieve whatever it is I set my mind to. I am dedicated to my goals and understand that perseverance is key to success. This year, I set a goal of making Dean’s List. While it was difficult, I thought of Row New York as I was reading upwards of 250 pages a week. I thought of everything I had done, all the work my mind and body has done and how I was capable of achieving what I wanted. Thus I made it happen for myself.
I am now a rising junior. In the near future, I greatly hope to apply to and attend the Harvard Kennedy School of Government after graduation. There I will work within their JD/MPP(Master in Public Policy) joint degree program. I want to acquire the skills necessary to enter positions where I am able to voice the need for change in public policy, specifically in Education, so as to fully and adequately aid low-income communities of color. This is what Row New York does. It takes young girls and makes them better students. It transforms them into stronger, independent women who will stop at nothing to fully reach success. I am forever grateful.
