Year: Third

Major: Environmental Resource Management

Involvement: Student-athlete for the Brandywine women’s soccer team; member, Brandywine Music Association (BMA); member, Asian American and Pacific Islander Club; member, Nittany Christian Fellowship; member, Student Government Association; intern, Center for Social Impact

Brandywine: Why did you choose to attend Penn State Brandywine?

Rowe: I chose Penn State Brandywine to stay close to my family because I live close enough to commute. That way, I could stay with them for an extra two years.

Brandywine: How did you choose your major?

Rowe: I love being outside and would love to work in the park system one day because being in that environment makes nature more relatable. Sometimes, people might not understand what’s going on in nature, but the people in the park system help visitors understand and value it.

Brandywine: What challenges have you faced at Brandywine, if any?

Rowe: My biggest challenge was transitioning to college as a student-athlete. Making sure I had a healthy balance of coursework and sports was very important because of how important they are to me.

Brandywine: Who at Brandywine has supported you, and how?

Rowe: My teammates on the soccer team have definitely supported me a lot. Also, as I’ve gotten more involved in different clubs on campus, the people I’ve met there are always supporting me. The resident assistants on campus are great too; even though I don’t live on campus, you can tell they’re invested in all the students on campus. They’re supportive, too.

Brandywine: What’s been one of your greatest accomplishments at Brandywine so far?

Rowe: I’d have to say my greatest accomplishment would be coming out of my shell more. In high school, I only did one sport — track and field — and that’s the main thing I was invested in. I wasn’t involved in any clubs either because I was in a homeschool co-op program, so I spent half of my time doing asynchronous work. Coming into college was completely different because I was able to get involved more and make so many connections. I also just got accepted to the Schreyer Honors College, so that’s another huge accomplishment.

Brandywine: What made you interested in joining the Brandywine Music Association? What do you enjoy most about it?

Rowe: I found out about BMA through Ava Wise, a third-year student and president of the club. She approached me in the Student Union while I was playing my guitar with my friends. She came up to me and said I should join the club because of my love for music, and I’ve been involved ever since. They provide opportunities for people who just love music, whether you’re an amateur musician or you’ve been practicing for years. It’s a lot of fun.

Brandywine: What made you interested in joining the women’s soccer team? What do you enjoy most about it?

Rowe: I originally joined the women’s soccer team because Brandywine didn’t have a track team, but I still wanted to be involved with sports. I did play soccer in middle school and high school, and I felt that I wanted to be a part of a team sport again. Also, because soccer is a fall sport, I knew it would give me a chance to meet people before classes began. In the end, I really enjoyed it.

Brandywine: What advice do you have for students who are looking to get involved?

Rowe: I’d say to look for things you enjoy doing, and you’ll find people with similar interests as you and build a network of people. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions about how to get involved. I think Brandywine does a great job at promoting its clubs and organizations, but if you don’t know about them, you’ll never know unless you ask. There’s a whole wealth of information you can get if you just ask.

Brandywine: What’s the best memory you’ve made at Brandywine, and why?

Rowe: I think the best memory I’ve made here was in a kinesiology class I took. My friends and I decided to take a snowboarding class together as one of our general education courses. We learned about the history of snowboarding and different techniques, and then we’d go up to Bear Creek in the Poconos to snowboard once every week. It was such a great opportunity, and it was the most fun I’ve had at Brandywine.

Brandywine: With your involvement at Brandywine, how has your time on campus been impacted?

Rowe: I’ve definitely spent a lot more time on campus. When I first started here, I didn’t know that many people. As soon as I finished my classes, I would do some work, go to practice and go home. Since becoming involved, I’ve had more reasons to stay on campus and will spend my whole day here if I can. It’s made me appreciate how the whole campus is one community.

Brandywine: What’s the most valuable lesson you learned at Brandywine?

Rowe: The most valuable thing I’ve learned is that people will always find a way to surprise you. You might see a classmate you have several classes with, but you would never know they’re also a student-athlete or that they’re president of a student organization until you get to know them. I’ve gotten to know people by challenging myself to get to know everyone as an individual. I’ve learned that the people around me have so many different layers, and I feel like getting to know different people makes the whole college experience richer for me.