Jen Hester (Bend, Ore. / Mountain View HS) is a scholar student-athlete who is a varsity eight member of the Oregon State women’s rowing team. Hester, a junior, has been involved in extra-curricular activities including her participation with the Math and Science Pre-Education Club and SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee). She is a General Science major with a Pre-Education option and has an excellent grade-point average of 3.2.

You weren’t a rower in high school... what got you into rowing at OSU?

At the START program over the summer when I came here they had the recruits out to take the rowing PAC class, so that’s how I got into it.

What do you enjoy most about rowing?

I would say the team camaraderie and the competition, and also the fact that you are out on the water. There aren’t many sports that you get to sit on top of the water during competition.

Do you have a special or favorite memory from a regatta you would like to share?

It would actually have been the one this past weekend in San Jose. The Windermere Classic was pretty amazing. Our team came together a lot on that trip and our boat really pulled well. We finally proved ourselves as an elite team.

What goals have you set for yourself this season, and what are some of the team goals?

One goal for me was to get into the varsity boat, which was a big thing. Another goal for the team would be to know that every race we pulled as hard as we could. So that’s a big one to stay on top of.

What is the hardest part about being a student-athlete, and how do you stay on top of everything?

The hardest part is the time constraints. All of my roommates quit last year because they felt they were missing out on the college experience. I don’t feel that way, but the time is tough. I think having less free time really makes you take advantage of the time you have.

What extra-curricular activities have you been involved in?

I’m on the Math and Science Pre-Education Club. We hold fairs at elementary and middle schools. We have tables with experiments out, and the kids are just free to roam around. Their parents come and we kind of reorient them or help them understand what their kids are doing in class.

What made you decide that Oregon State was the school for you?

Well, it was bigger than the other schools that I visited. I think it’s really nice, the environment is really welcoming to me. It was really welcome diversity, I like to think of myself as a diverse person and the school was just welcome to a whole bunch of different people.

So you studied abroad in the fall term in Spain, how were you able to keep in shape there and come back Corvallis and claim a varsity seat?

The beach was right there so I got run in the sand a lot. The resistance helped me train, I think. The way the beach is laid out, there is a huge staircase that runs down it, so I ran stairs a lot. I also joined the gym while I was there so I could work out when I wasn’t busy to stay in shape.

What have you enjoyed most about being a student-athlete in Corvallis?

I guess meeting my teammates would be a really big highlight. And just how being a part of something makes you part of Oregon State. If you don’t participate in anything you kind of miss out on being part of Oregon State. It kind of “gets you in there.” Also my little sister is on the rowing team as well, so that has been really exciting.

What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t rowing?

I really like music and I play the piano. I really enjoy hanging out with my family. Playing catch with a baseball is something I enjoy a lot too.

What are your plans after OSU?

I want to be a math teacher and stick around Oregon.