Women’s Novice Rowing Team

During my first semester, I became a member of the Ohio State Women’s Novice Rowing Team.  After completing a successful year on the novice team, athletes are given the opportunity to join the Division 1 Ohio State Women’s Varsity Rowing Team, who hold seven Big Ten Championships and three National Championships.  Since August, I have learned alongside a large group of young women under an elite coaching staff, including an Olympic Gold Medalist and a First Team All-American.  We have learned the basics of rowing and how to use the ergometer, or indoor rower, and tested our levels of physical and mental toughness.  I have developed my physical fitness beyond what I ever thought I was capable of, while also learning how to care for my body so it can perform at its best.  This has included modifying my diet and sleep schedule to accommodate waking up early for practice at 6:00am and doing over an hour of strenuous cardio and weight training daily.   I have learned to prioritize my school work and social life and have made my small amount of free time more productive to accommodate everything I enjoy and need to get done.  I am more selective with how I spend time doing extra curricular activities and chose only those that I have a passion for and that will benefit me in the future.  I will use the new habits I have developed to become an overall healthier and more productive individual, even after my rowing career is over.  I know I will always be able to call on my teammates when I need help, whether it be related to rowing, class, or life.  As I am afforded more opportunities as an undergraduate student, I will determine which are truly beneficial and worth my time in order to avoid spreading myself too thin.

About Me

My name is Emma Lynne Johnson and I am from Williamsport, Ohio.  I grew up and worked on my family’s 180-head Limousin beef cattle farm with the occasional horse, sheep, or chicken.  I am currently in the Exploration in Agriculture program in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.  I am interested in majoring in Community Leadership in Extension Education with International Economic Development and Spanish minors.  I am also on the Novice Women’s Rowing team and plan to join more student organizations after I find the best fit for me.  Due to my agricultural background, from my family’s farm and membership in 4-H and FFA, studying agriculture was an obvious choice for me.  I am a third generation Buckeye, so choosing The Ohio State University was a simple process.  After graduating from Westfall High School in May of 2016, I took a gap year to become a Rotary Youth Exchange student.  For ten months, I lived in Santiago, Chile in South America with two different host families, attending a Chilean high school, learning to speak Spanish, and studying the Chilean culture.  When applying to The Ohio State University almost one year before my exchange began, I had been told that when returning from my exchange, I was likely to face the obstacle of reverse culture shock.  I chose International Affairs Scholars because I thought it would be a wonderful way for me to transition back into American culture and life, and also into my first year of college, while also finding ways to translate my experience as an exchange student into meaningful interactions and opportunities.  I aspire to someday work for 4-H, “a global network of youth organizations whose mission is engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development” in the United States, but with involvement reaching to other countries around the world. I hope to involve myself in internships, student organizations, and study abroad opportunities that will combine my passions for agriculture, education, and international affairs.  I know that with the combination of academics and opportunities that this university, International Affairs Scholars, and other student organizations offer, I will be able to make my aspirations a reality.