Class of 2016 Graduate: Sarah Aschebrock
Sarah Aschebrock has been a four-year member of Miami rowing’s Varsity 8. The North Shore, New Zealand, native will compete for the Canes at the ACC Championships next weekend, but she will walk across the stage at graduation this week to wrap up her academic career at UM.
This summer/fall I plan to travel to South America with my family for a month. I am then going on a three-week trip to Vietnam for ‘Coach for College’, which is a teaching camp for athletes. I then plan to return home to New Zealand to pursue a career in the Police Force with hopes of becoming an investigator.
Being part of the Hurricanes rowing team was a once in a lifetime opportunity, which I tried to make the most of every day. It was a perfect fit. The girls became like a family for me. They would have my back in the boat literally, but also on land. The athletic department also did their best to make sure I had everything I needed to succeed in rowing and in life. From athletic academic advisors, to career development and community service with Shirelle [Jackson] and SAAC. I have had a team of dedicated rowing coaches, strength coach, and access to a nutritionist, sports psychologist, trainers and advisors. The Hurricanes rowing team has gone above and beyond to ensure I was able to make the most of my time in Miami.
In four years at Miami, I have made huge growth personally. I have learned so much about myself and what I can achieve if I put my mind to it. I have managed to achieve my goals academically, athletically and outside of the university, such as my community service endeavors. When I first came to Miami, I was consumed by the cultural shock, leaving New Zealand alone for the first time and trying to make my academics work. In my second year with the change of coaching, I struggled athletically. It was not until my third year that I started to excel in all areas and truly make the most of my time. I could not have been able to overcome these challenges without the help from the athletic department and my professors across campus.
One of my best memories of my time at Miami was winning the San Diego Cal Cup this year. I was part of the boat that won this cup my first semester. It was an unreal experience to be able to win this cup for the University again. Not only did we win this event, we won it convincingly with open water over Tennessee. Definitely a highlight of my time at UM.
A class/professor at Miami that I really enjoyed was Judge Venzer’s sociology class called Crime and Punishment. This class focused on the implicit bias that we all have and therefore is an important aspect in the Criminal Justice System. However, it was taught from the unique perspective of a Miami-Dade circuit judge for the Criminal Division. This class also involved having the opportunity to sit on the bench with Judge Venzer in her courtroom and observe the court proceedings, first hand. We also had a guest lesson by one of the Prosecutors for Miami-Dade who works with drugs and money laundering. The class was very eye opening and educational while also being extremely interesting, exciting and hands on and we used current real-life cases to work with.
Coach Dave Sanderson impacted me by teaching me that nothing good ever comes easy. You are not owed anything. On any given day, any crew can decide to show up and race you. Just because you are the better crew doesn’t mean you are going to win in the same way being the underdog does not mean you cannot succeed. The same is applied to practice. Anyone can show up and race you on any day and you have to be willing to fight for your seat. Just because you have a seat in a boat doesn’t mean it belongs to you. Therefore, you have to be willing to work harder everyday so even your bad day is better than their best. The same can be applied to everything else you seek in life. If you want it, you have to be willing to work harder than everyone else to get it.
In five years, I hope to be working for the New Zealand Police Force having completed all my training. I hope to be working in the Criminal Detective Department and on my way to becoming a detective.
My favorite part of being a Hurricane is the family and legacy you become a part of. No matter where we travel in the country people know The U. Being part of the Hurricane family means standing for more than just yourself. You are part of something so much bigger than just yourself and your time at The U.
What I’ll miss most about the University of Miami is everything. The comfort of the small university and knowing someone everywhere. The intimate classes with professors who know you personally. The sunny days spent relaxing. The dolphin sightings during practice and the tan lines after Spring Break Training Camp. The University of Miami has become a home for me and I will be very sad to leave.
Being a Hurricane has helped me to embrace the American culture. The University has enabled me to earn a double major in Criminology and Sociology and a minor in Psychology. I have also be able to achieve department honors in Criminology, been on the E-Board for SAAC, been inducted into Alpha Phi Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies, received a Who’s Who Award and the Bryce Finley Ryan Award for Academic Excellence in Criminology. I have done this while achieving a 3.826 GPA and competing in the 1V all four years of my time at UM and winning numerous events. I have been extremely encouraged by athletics to pursue not only my athletic pursuits but my academic goals also. Coach Sanderson has allowed a flexible schedule, which allowed me to achieve these goals which I know being a D1 athlete at many other institutions would have prohibited. I am proud of what I have achieved during my time at UM and to call myself a Miami Hurricane.
