Written by Student Assistant Christian Bond
TACOMA, Wash. – Time. People either have too much of it, or need more. To some, Hannah Peterson is a person who needs more of it. Peterson wasted no time getting busy in her first year at Pacific Lutheran University. Peterson walked on to the rowing team, is in the ROTC program and is active in ASPLU. For Peterson, now a sophomore, the future is promising.
Peterson knew about rowing for a long time. Peterson's mom (Brenda Satruma) rowed at PLU in 1987-88 and encouraged Hannah to join the team. Peterson walked on to rowing team and did so in style, landing a seat on the Varsity 8 boat.
The Montana native earned First Team All-Northwest Conference honors and was also a First Team All-American. The team also thrived, winning and winning often. The team reached the NCAA Division III National Championships, finishing fourth overall in the team's first ever nationals appearance.
"It was perfect," Peterson said. "I was planning on attending Montana State University in Bozeman where there is no rowing team, but in March of my senior year I was awarded the ROTC scholarship so I could afford to go to PLU where rowing had always been sort of a legendary thing my mom had done and loved."
At certain times of the year, ROTC and crew work well together. In the fall, the training for ROTC helps Peterson in two ways. The first prepares Peterson for her career. The other gets her in superb physical condition for crew.
"The Fall I work out primarily with the ROTC Ranger Challenge team," Peterson said.
"A group of ten PLU ROTC cadets who meet most mornings including weekends for rigorous physical training and extra skills practice like land navigation, squad tactics, and an event called a one-rope bridge, that then competes against other ROTC teams in late fall – which gets me into incredible shape for crew."
Other times, ROTC and crew clash for Peterson. Weekend-long training for ROTC takes place on three occasions in the spring. Peterson shuttled herself from Joint Base Lewis-McCord to American Lake on race days. Peterson found strength in her teammates support during those exhausting weekends.
"These weekends were physically and mentally demanding," Peterson said. "It was during the week of the last of these when I truly realized the importance of the support my crew gave me. We had three races that weekend – the last of which a duel against University of Puget Sound on Sunday. Concurrently, the PLU ROTC Battalion was running squad and platoon sized tactic drills, firing blanks in the thickets of JBLM. Getting up at 4 a.m. on Sunday to participate in a high-stakes 2k was hard, but going back to my crew to race for my team and my school changed the event from a trial to a challenge for which I was eager and honored."
On top of rowing and ROTC, Peterson is active in student government. Peterson serves as an At-Large Senator for ASPLU. In this position, Peterson gets to choose a specific project that she works on. Part of her job requires office hours, as well as representing ASPLU at events on campus.
"Working for ASPLU has been eye-opening and a real privilege," Peterson said. "It is eye-opening to see all the inner workings of the University from the perspective of a student who also attends the school. It is also a privilege and a challenge to be a student working to represent all other students--a goal which we will always be working toward. It's fun, too. A lot of work, but it pays off."
Peterson hardly has time to sleep. In season, her alarm clock sounds at 4:27 a.m. Despite the early wake up calls, Peterson encourages any first-year students thinking about walking onto a sports program, not to waste any time.
"I'd absolutely say it will be one of the best choices you can make," Peterson said.
"That loneliness they say happens when you go off to college simply doesn't happen. Freshman five also doesn't. Even if your classes are going poorly or you're second guessing your life choices, the athletic program of choice will always give you something to strive for. It's just so good, there is no way to go wrong when it comes to joining a group of such dedicated individuals."
There is only 24 hours in the day for everyone, including Hannah Peterson. Peterson is an All American rower, involved heavily in the ROTC program, works in ASPLU and is a student. Peterson has no plans of dropping any extracurricular activities, to give herself more time in the day.
"It's a truly powerful and beautiful thing," Peterson said. "When eight differently shaped and minded individuals are completely synchronized, pushing each and every muscle with the goal of moving one vessel through invisible water deprived of a trace of sunlight on the horizon. The anticipation of that experience makes it easier to press 'off' on the alarm at 4:27."
