University of North Carolina Athletics
My Carolina Experience: Emma Shaw
February 10, 2016 | Women's Rowing
My Carolina Experience: Emma Shaw
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Emma Shaw spent most of her childhood as a tennis player, and thus all of her summers at tennis camp. As such, one can only imagine the joy her parents felt when, in her last year in attendance of the camp, the thing she was most excited about was learning how to scull at the rowing center down the road. Little did they know, that opportunity would open her up to a collegiate experience for which she would be forever thankful.
Having grown up in Chapel Hill, Shaw had no intentions of going to school there. In fact, it was the last place she wanted to be during the most formative years of her life. But, that was before she realized living in the town was a far cry from the college experience.
“I saw that it was a community of people who have so much going for them. Anyone I met who went to UNC wasn't just a great student, they were even better people looking to contribute to the world,” she says.
“You'd meet someone on campus who'd started this great initiative and want to get involved in that or do something similar. I think that's what makes UNC so special. Everyone you meet has something unique to offer and is doing or creating something amazing with Carolina's great resources. They aren't just waiting to be handed anything. That sealed the deal for me.”
Because she wasn't recruited to play a sport, Shaw's goals to become a student-athlete were ignited when a friend convinced her to attend an informational meeting about the rowing team. By her first practice she was hooked, and from that point on the rowing team and the athletic community were a part of who she was.
The Richard A. Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy in particular played a large role in that. “I wanted to be someone who I would respect in the same way I respected my captains. Becoming a CREED mentor, and the idea of being inspired by teammates and all the incredible students and athletes around me created my next goal of actually becoming a captain.”
Academically, as Shaw matured she realized just how much she didn't know. The diversity at Carolina made her more curious about learning. So much so that during her senior year after applying to law school she also applied to a master's degree program for sustainable development at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland.
She'd learned about the program through an alumus who'd just gotten back and it seemed to fit into the things her last year as a journalism and anthropology student were opening her mind up to. After getting into law school, Shaw was also accepted into the program in Scotland. Making the decision to go was scary, but the next three years were broadening and eye opening, and Shaw knows she couldn't have gotten that experience any other way.
“So often we divide our world into binaries of rich and poor, developed and underdeveloped, rural and urban, but my time abroad made it clear that there is hardly ever such black and white. That was one of the most important recognitions to have experienced firsthand: labels can be useful, but they're often a poor substitute for discussion and understanding.
“Because of this, and because I believe rowing is such a uniquely empowering sport, I've been trying to establish either a non-profit organization or an NGO that would focus on the things it taught me.”
The ideas of participation and empowerment were big themes in Shaw's rowing experience. Her ultimate goal would be to take rowing to places where it doesn't exist to use it to teach those themes, while also teaching people how to take care of their water, preserve it, and conserve it.
“Those involved would develop a vested interest in keeping the water clean and accessible to everyone. At the same time they would learn about rowing which is exciting and challenging and in doing so, hopefully also come to a place within themselves where they begin to wonder what else they can do.”
Looking at the things Shaw took away from her experiences abroad in comparison to what she loved most about UNC, it comes as no surprise that one of her favorite things about Carolina is “The Pit Preacher.”
The banter between the Preacher and the students represents to Shaw, what universities are meant to do. It inspires thought and encourages people to fight for their ability to express it, while also exposing the wide array of opinions on campus. That, to Shaw was a beautiful thing to be able to witness on a regular basis in such raw form.
“One of the greatest strengths of UNC is the idea of the Carolina Family. It's not something that people just say. You are surrounded by people who really believe in excelling not only as athletes but as people. Every student athlete I met at Carolina is someone who was not only intent on being the best that they could be in their sport, but on appreciating how they'd gotten to where they were and the people who support them. From academic advisors and nutritionists, to the incredible athletic training staff, the appreciation of having that support system, I think, is the true hallmark of UNC.”
