Cassidy has been a member of the Women’s Rowing Team since 2020. When Cassidy first joined, the team had only 7 members. She had come from a background of outrigger canoe paddling in high school in Hawaii, but had never rowed before. By the end of her first year, she raced in the Varsity line-up and sustained that position as the team continued to build to now more than 20 members. In 2022, she was nominated by my teammates for the Golden Shim, the team’s award for the athlete that best embodies the values of teamwork and sportsmanship. The same year she was the Student Athletic Advisory Committee Representative for the team. By this time Cassidy had come to learn that the culture of the team is just as important as the physical strength of the athletes. So her time as a rower has not only included hours of intense training, but also hours of planning and managing team bonding activities. Most recently, she designed flyers for themed Friday practices and the 2023 home regatta’s T-Shirt. In 2023, she consistently raced in the top lineup which went undefeated in DII for all of 2023, culminating as the 2023 champions of NCAA DII Women’s Rowing.