Ten Rowers Set For Final Home Race

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Ten Tennessee rowers are preparing for the final home race of their collegiate careers at the Big 12 Conference Championship in Oak Ridge on May 12-13.

Nicole Burnett, Nicole Chojnacky, Jennifer Davis, Lauren Higdon, Aja List, Katie Porter, Katherine Pearson and Iman Woodyard are all set to graduate before competition begins on Saturday. Senior Gabbie Richardson is completing an internship and plans to graduate in the fall and sophomore Amalia Tsiavou has completed her final year of eligibility.

As their time as Tennessee Volunteers comes to an end, the athletes reflect on their experiences at UT and share their plans for the future.

Nicole Burnett

Major: Psychology
Minor: Retail and Consumer Science and Sociology
Future plans: Will move to Florida in August to participate in the Disney College Program in merchandising.
Favorite memory: "Winning the petite final my freshmen year at San Diego Crew Classic will be a race I will never forget. When we got to shore after the race, Coach Chelsea came running towards us and hugged us all. We were so excited to come in first at a big race, and it was important to us since we were novice and still learning the sport."
What being a Tennessee graduate means to her: "It means a lot to graduate from the University of Tennessee because I am a first generation college student. My parents raised me going to UT football games, and cheering on the Vols. It means a lot to be able to compete as a Lady Vol, and obtain a college degree."
Three people you'd like to have dinner with (dead or alive): Beyoncé, Jeff Goldblum, Barack Obama
Last show I binge-watched: The Handmaid's Tale
Fun fact: I can recite all the presidents via a song I learned in 4th grade.

Nicole Chojnacky

Major: Kinesiology
Future plans: Plans to attend nursing school.
Favorite rowing memory: "Me and my pair partner won club nationals when we didn't expect it. We went into the time trials just wanting to make it into the semi-finals. Once we made it to semis, we just wanted to make it to finals. When we made it to finals, we just said, 'Hey, let's at least get top 3.' We ended up taking 1st place by open water!"
Three people (living or dead) you'd choose to have dinner with: Ronda Rousey, Ellen DeGeneres, Jesus
Last show you binge-watched: Black Mirror

Jennifer Davis

Major: Kinesiology
Minor: Leadership Studies
Future plans: Will spend the next year focusing on using sport and physical activity to empower youth and mend gaps to promote social change prior to applying to medical school in the fall of 2019.
Favorite rowing memory: "Leaving practice (we had a snowball fight out on the deck after erging) on a snow day freshman year and spending hours sledding down the hill beside the outdoor tennis stadium with Lauren, Katherine, and two former teammates since classes were canceled."
Fun Fact: I used to have a pet goat named Carrot Top.
Teammate you'd want with you if you were stranded on a desert island: "Kristen Freeman. She has strong figure it out skills, and if we died, we would die laughing."

Lauren Higdon

Major: Interior Architecture
Future plans: Interning at Gresham Smith and Partners, Nashville.
Favorite rowing memory: San Diego Crew Classic 2017
Favorite place you've ever visited: Seoul, South Korea
Fun fact: I ate 224 chocolate cookies spring semester of junior year in college.
Last show I binge-watched: The Crown

Aja List

Major: Biological Sciences--Microbiology
Minor: Applied Music
Future plans: Would like to work in a research lab in an area with competitive rowing so she can continue her rowing career.
Favorite rowing memory: "One of my favorite experiences was being able to travel to the Head of the Charles Regatta my junior year and race in the Champ 4+. Boston is one of my favorite places, with its huge rowing culture and the Charles being an absolutely beautiful venue to row on."
What being a Tennessee graduate means to her: "My collegiate experience at UT has brought me perspective, taught me the value of hard work and determination, and honed my understanding of my identity and what is really important to me. I honestly wouldn't trade the growth I've found during my time here with anything else."
Favorite Knoxville Restaurant: Stock and Barrel
Go-to workout song: "POWER" by Kanye West

Katherine Pearson

Major: Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management
Minor: Business Administration
Future plans: Moving to Phoenix, Arizona to begin her career with InterContinental Hotels Group.
Favorite rowing memory: "Sophomore year when we went to San Diego we had a brand new lineup where coach handed us our riggers and told us what seat to go to, and turns out, we were in a double bucket. We had an awful practice the day before and thought we wouldn't even be able to race, but we ended up having a really good race, and we all had so much fun. It was such a memorable experience, and we all bonded so much over that."
Teammate you'd want with you if you were stranded on a desert island: : Lauren Higdon. She has lived in a lot of different places and is very creative, so I feel like she would be helpful. Lauren is an architecture major, so she could build us things, like a nice island hut. Lauren and I also always have fun and joke around, so we could have a good time while being stranded together.
Favorite sports figure: Billie Jean King

Katie Porter

Major: Biological Sciences, Microbiology Concentration
Minor: Leadership Studies
Future plans: Will attend medical school at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine.
What being a Tennessee graduate means to her: "Being a graduate of the University of Tennessee means fighting to leave a legacy of excellence and grit each and every day. It is an honor and privilege to join such an elite group of alumni, and I am so glad to be able to call myself a forever member of the Volunteer Family."
Favorite rowing memory: Head of the Charles 2016
Favorite articles of clothing: Blue plaid pajama pants and Sperry's
Favorite sports figure: Adam Rippon
Three people you'd like to have dinner with (dead or alive): Emma Gonzalez, Gevvie Stone, Karen Lloyd

Gabbie Richardson

Major: Human Resources
Minor: Collateral in Information Management
Future plans: Plans to intern this summer with TEKsystems and finish up classes before graduating in the fall.
Favorite rowing memory: "6:30am cardio bike sessions at the complex with Jenna in the fall"
Go to work out song: "Stronger" by Kanye West
Teammate you'd want with you if you were stranded on a desert island: "I would take Camryn Farren with me because she doesn't eat a lot so we wouldn't have to worry about finding a ton of food to survive."

Amalia Tsiavou

Major: Psychology
Future plans: She plans to work as a psychologist and row.
Favorite rowing memory: San Diego Crew Classic
Three people you'd like to have dinner with (dead or alive): Mama, Grandmother and my father
Last show I binge-watched: Grey's Anatomy

Iman Woodyard

Major: Political Science and Sociology
Future plans: Pursuing her Juris Doctorate in the Fall at Pennsylvania State University - Dickinson Law.
Favorite rowing memory: "Any boat meeting the night before a race. This moment where the true personalities of each rower are emphasized and incorporated in the race plan and is a true bonding moment for the crew. Some of the funniest inside jokes and craziest statements have been said during boat meetings that make your lineup grow that much closer together before we have to be synced up and prepare for battle on the race course."
What being a Tennessee graduate means to her: "Being a first-generation college student means I broke the cycle, went against statistics to beat the odds, and actually achieved a long time dream which is my own definition of success. Specific to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee, this means that I am now equipped with the skills to thrive in the world that I have prepared for the last four years. I am now joining a special network of alumni as a Vol for Life, carrying the spirit of Tennessee wherever my journey guides me."
Favorite article of clothing: A graphic tee that has Tupac Shakur on it.
Go-to workout song: "Purple Lamborghini" - Skrillex & Rick Ross