This spring, millions of high school seniors will anxiously await their college acceptance news. Row New Yorker Anita Guaman, however, already has her news, and it’s doubly exciting. Anita has earned acceptance to Colby College and been granted a highly competitive Posse Foundation scholarship to attend. Congratulations Anita!
The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary potential who may be “overlooked by traditional college selection processes” and extends four-year, full-tuition scholarships to winners of its competition. Once enrolled as students at Posse’s partner institutions, Posse scholars become members of “supportive, multicultural teams—posses—of 10 students” each. Their posses provide the students with the support necessary for achieving personal and academic excellence at their schools.
Colby College is a top-ranked liberal arts institution in Maine. There, Anita says she will probably major in a science-related field, although English and business remain interests, too.
Excerpted below is Anita’s scholarship-winning personal statement. We’re so excited at Row New York for Anita’s accomplishments and we’re looking forward to her achievements at Colby.
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Rowing has made me reflect on my life and how I have to use each day to improve myself for the sake of my future.
Before September 2010, I knew nothing about rowing. I was born in New York City and raised in a traditional Ecuadorian family. I grew up with my parents and my two little brothers. My two older sisters, who were born in Ecuador, grew up with my grandmother because they were not able to come to the United States. Their absence drove me to search for something that would help me achieve and not force me to sacrifice. I developed a love of playing sports and learning new things. The sports we played at home were soccer and volleyball. The urge to try new things led me to discover sports like basketball, squash, badminton, taekwondo, rugby and finally rowing. Row New York was where I left everything and gained everything.
Rowing practice made me a stronger, more confident person. I became a role model for the novices and middle schoolers on our team. I became a person who focuses on and sets goals for the present and future. My focus on the short- and long-term sharpened my leadership skills, which I try to use everywhere. Row New York became a place where I gained support from my team. It opened me up socially, meeting people from all over New York City. This experience was powerful because I have been a student at a small, public, all-girls school since sixth grade. At The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria, I am part of a group of about eighty girls who will be the inaugural graduating class. Rowing made me enter a similar close-knit environment but allowed me to grow into a stronger team member with new opportunities. If I am on land on an ergometer or in a boat on the water rowing, I make every practice count because it will help me and my team improve and achieve our goals.
On race day, all of my hard work gets to be on display. I concentrate on the small and big changes and how winning the small battles gets me closer to the bigger goal. At races I am also reminded of how fortunate I am to be rowing for Row New York. I also acknowledge that I tried out with about three hundred girls and have earned my seat and have made this team diverse. Nothing will keep me from achieving my goals in rowing or in life. Everyday is like a race. Start strong and stay focused. I now live by this mantra: “Heart, mind and power until the end. Everyday. Anywhere. Anytime.”
