Paulson paves the way
1/6/2015 11:08:00 AM | Women's Rowing
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Media Relations
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From an inexperienced rower to a fifth-year veteran, Leah Paulson is one of several Mountain Hawks who embody the development potential in the Lehigh rowing program.
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Lehigh, like most programs in the country, features a mix of experienced and inexperienced rowers. Paulson represents both those ends of the spectrum and serves as a role model for the many new rowers just learning the sport.
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Paulson didn't begin rowing until her sophomore year at Lehigh.
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"I played sports in high school, but we didn't have a rowing program. I didn't even know what rowing was until I got to Lehigh," she said. "I really had no plans to row because I ran or went to Taylor Gym every day on my own, but one of my best friends one day just asked me to join with him. He is from New Zealand and was only in the U.S. for a couple years, so he wanted to try everything he could and roped me in with him. It was such a random way to join, but I'm so happy I did."
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Like Paulson, seniors Cassie Barker and Corey Johnson joined the rowing program at the same time, also as walk-ons.
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"It's definitely a challenge to learn the sport because it's so different than any other sport," said Barker. "You have to work together with the eight other people in your boat and everyone has to be on the same page. While focusing on technique and pulling hard, you also have to focus on timing, which is one of the most important factors that make a boat go fast and is sometimes the hardest thing for new rowers to learn. Your success depends on the person sitting in front of and behind you, and you all have to work towards the same goal."
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Currently a graduate student, Paulson is at Lehigh for her fifth year. She loved the sport so much that she decided to use her last year of eligibility.
Â
"I came into Lehigh with my eyes set on a Presidential Scholarship," said Paulson. "Ever since I joined the team, my GPA has stayed in that range, so things couldn't have worked out any better. I grew to love rowing and because I was getting a free fifth year for academic reasons, it only made sense for me to continue rowing, too."
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"Having Leah back for a fifth year is incredible because she brings a wealth of knowledge and maturity that the team needs," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "She is not afraid to be held accountable and hold others accountable."Â
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As a sophomore, Paulson began on the very last novice crew, but worked her way to the top novice boat (with Johnson) where their crew won a silver medal at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta.
Â
Fast forward three years. Paulson doesn't think of herself as a coach, but in many ways, she is. She's been a member of the Varsity Eight for the past two years.
Â
"We do our best to be leaders because we've had to balance academics, rowing, (and for me, gryphoning) for at least three years, so I guess you could consider that coaching in a way," said Paulson. "There are two rowers who I graduated with (Kaitlyn Dennington and Katherine Menge), who are now on the coaching staff, so they've definitely taken on the coaching role as graduate students."
Â
Paulson is like several other student-athletes on the rowing team. She was an athlete who grew to love another sport (rowing).
Â
"I kept myself in pretty good shape my first year and a half here and had always been an athlete, so I was pretty physically prepared once I got the hang of the technique (which I'm still getting a grasp of three years later)," she said. "I came to Lehigh for purely academic reasons with no intention of being an athlete, but after working out on my own. I missed being on a team so badly and jumped at the chance to join one again."
Â
Everything came together, athletically and academically, and she's graduating with high hopes for post-graduation. She is in a program called Globalization and Educational Change with a concentration of TESOL, which will certify her to teach English as a second language.
Â
"It's usually a 3-4 semester program for full-time students, so  because I took 12 credits over the summer and am taking a full course load both semesters this year, I will graduate with an MEd in May," said Paulson.
Â
That culmination of academics and athletics came together through one award, earning Academic All-Patriot League honors the past two seasons.
Â
"I actually didn't realize what a big deal Academic All-Patriot League was until this past year," said Paulson. "I made the Academic All-Patriot team my junior year and just sort of said 'cool' and moved on, but when I saw last year that there were only 11 girls honored from the entire Patriot League, I was shocked. The fact that my best friend, Corey Johnson, and I have made the team two years in a row is awesome and I feel really blessed to have represented Lehigh rowing well in the Patriot League."
Â
Paulson represents Lehigh in many other ways beyond academics and athletics. She's also involved in Student-Athlete Council, Gryphon Society, Residence Hall Association and more.
Â
"Lehigh has 100 percent prepared me for life after college," she said. "My advisers and professors have been amazing, so I've had a great experience here academically, and all of the extracurricular activities I'm involved in have taught me how to work with diverse groups of people in many different settings. I couldn't have asked for anything more from Lehigh."
Â
Paulson looks to continue the rise of the Lehigh rowing program, then use everything she's learned after graduation. She doesn't have any definitive plans yet, but the possibilities are endless.
Â
"I applied for a Fulbright Scholarship which would fund me to teach English in Uruguay for eight months, but I won't have a definite answer for that until the spring," she said. "Working for an NGO or nonprofit, or basically anywhere that I could use my passion and education to help people would be ideal for me."
Â
For the new student-athletes who are uneasy about joining the Lehigh rowing program, they can look to Leah as evidence of the success that's possible.
Â
"I definitely relate to younger walk-on rowers. I tell people all the time that I was terrible when I started rowing," said Paulson. "I was strong, which actually hurt me because my form was so bad. My 6k & 10k times were nothing to brag about and I had so much to learn, and still do. I still learn new things every day."
Â
"The younger rowers can see just how much a person can develop by looking at Leah," said Conley. "As she's mentioned, she was not the best when she arrived, but she knew what her strengths and weaknesses were and continued to prioritize her life appropriately to be successful in the classroom and on the water."
Â
Walk-ons like Paulson create the core of the program and are paramount in the team's success.
Â
"Our rowers who join without any prior knowledge can be the most exciting people to coach because their learning curves are so great and you see enormous gains each hour of each day you as a coach work with them," said Conley. "It really just takes a desire to be successful, being willing to work really hard and being able to work as a team. Without people willing to take a chance and learn something new, our program would not be over 25 years old and continuing to grow and get faster. It's because of our walk-on process that we have our program, supportive alumni and a current team that wants to learn and race at a high level."
Â
It's not always easy. When a new rower is lost and thinks things will never get better, a success story like Paulson can relate, because she felt that way at one time.Â
Â
"I'd like to think I'm an example of how someone absolutely lost and discouraged can evolve into someone who is confident and much faster than when I started," she said. "Cassie and Corey have definitely pushed me to be a better athlete and a better person. I think the three of us are solid examples of well-rounded Lehigh students who get the most out of everything they're involved in. We are definitely proud to represent Lehigh as walk-ons and share our experiences with younger girls who are going through similar struggles."
Â
"Leah is the epitome of the successful walk-on and what Lehigh Rowing is all about," said Conley. "She came to the sport because of curiosity and a desire to be a part of something bigger than herself. Leah also learned the work ethic that's needed to be successful. She wasn't afraid to fail, but when she did, she learned and tried harder. Leah never settles for just achieving a goal. She looks to see how much she can beat her goals by and then keeps going."
Â
Â
From an inexperienced rower to a fifth-year veteran, Leah Paulson is one of several Mountain Hawks who embody the development potential in the Lehigh rowing program.
Â
Lehigh, like most programs in the country, features a mix of experienced and inexperienced rowers. Paulson represents both those ends of the spectrum and serves as a role model for the many new rowers just learning the sport.
Â
Paulson didn't begin rowing until her sophomore year at Lehigh.
Â
"I played sports in high school, but we didn't have a rowing program. I didn't even know what rowing was until I got to Lehigh," she said. "I really had no plans to row because I ran or went to Taylor Gym every day on my own, but one of my best friends one day just asked me to join with him. He is from New Zealand and was only in the U.S. for a couple years, so he wanted to try everything he could and roped me in with him. It was such a random way to join, but I'm so happy I did."
Â
Like Paulson, seniors Cassie Barker and Corey Johnson joined the rowing program at the same time, also as walk-ons.
Â
"It's definitely a challenge to learn the sport because it's so different than any other sport," said Barker. "You have to work together with the eight other people in your boat and everyone has to be on the same page. While focusing on technique and pulling hard, you also have to focus on timing, which is one of the most important factors that make a boat go fast and is sometimes the hardest thing for new rowers to learn. Your success depends on the person sitting in front of and behind you, and you all have to work towards the same goal."
Â
Currently a graduate student, Paulson is at Lehigh for her fifth year. She loved the sport so much that she decided to use her last year of eligibility.
Â
"I came into Lehigh with my eyes set on a Presidential Scholarship," said Paulson. "Ever since I joined the team, my GPA has stayed in that range, so things couldn't have worked out any better. I grew to love rowing and because I was getting a free fifth year for academic reasons, it only made sense for me to continue rowing, too."
Â
"Having Leah back for a fifth year is incredible because she brings a wealth of knowledge and maturity that the team needs," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "She is not afraid to be held accountable and hold others accountable."Â
Â
As a sophomore, Paulson began on the very last novice crew, but worked her way to the top novice boat (with Johnson) where their crew won a silver medal at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta.
Â
Fast forward three years. Paulson doesn't think of herself as a coach, but in many ways, she is. She's been a member of the Varsity Eight for the past two years.
Â
"We do our best to be leaders because we've had to balance academics, rowing, (and for me, gryphoning) for at least three years, so I guess you could consider that coaching in a way," said Paulson. "There are two rowers who I graduated with (Kaitlyn Dennington and Katherine Menge), who are now on the coaching staff, so they've definitely taken on the coaching role as graduate students."
Â
Paulson is like several other student-athletes on the rowing team. She was an athlete who grew to love another sport (rowing).
Â
"I kept myself in pretty good shape my first year and a half here and had always been an athlete, so I was pretty physically prepared once I got the hang of the technique (which I'm still getting a grasp of three years later)," she said. "I came to Lehigh for purely academic reasons with no intention of being an athlete, but after working out on my own. I missed being on a team so badly and jumped at the chance to join one again."
Â
Everything came together, athletically and academically, and she's graduating with high hopes for post-graduation. She is in a program called Globalization and Educational Change with a concentration of TESOL, which will certify her to teach English as a second language.
Â
"It's usually a 3-4 semester program for full-time students, so  because I took 12 credits over the summer and am taking a full course load both semesters this year, I will graduate with an MEd in May," said Paulson.
Â
That culmination of academics and athletics came together through one award, earning Academic All-Patriot League honors the past two seasons.
Â
"I actually didn't realize what a big deal Academic All-Patriot League was until this past year," said Paulson. "I made the Academic All-Patriot team my junior year and just sort of said 'cool' and moved on, but when I saw last year that there were only 11 girls honored from the entire Patriot League, I was shocked. The fact that my best friend, Corey Johnson, and I have made the team two years in a row is awesome and I feel really blessed to have represented Lehigh rowing well in the Patriot League."
Â
Paulson represents Lehigh in many other ways beyond academics and athletics. She's also involved in Student-Athlete Council, Gryphon Society, Residence Hall Association and more.
Â
"Lehigh has 100 percent prepared me for life after college," she said. "My advisers and professors have been amazing, so I've had a great experience here academically, and all of the extracurricular activities I'm involved in have taught me how to work with diverse groups of people in many different settings. I couldn't have asked for anything more from Lehigh."
Â
Paulson looks to continue the rise of the Lehigh rowing program, then use everything she's learned after graduation. She doesn't have any definitive plans yet, but the possibilities are endless.
Â
"I applied for a Fulbright Scholarship which would fund me to teach English in Uruguay for eight months, but I won't have a definite answer for that until the spring," she said. "Working for an NGO or nonprofit, or basically anywhere that I could use my passion and education to help people would be ideal for me."
Â
For the new student-athletes who are uneasy about joining the Lehigh rowing program, they can look to Leah as evidence of the success that's possible.
Â
"I definitely relate to younger walk-on rowers. I tell people all the time that I was terrible when I started rowing," said Paulson. "I was strong, which actually hurt me because my form was so bad. My 6k & 10k times were nothing to brag about and I had so much to learn, and still do. I still learn new things every day."
Â
"The younger rowers can see just how much a person can develop by looking at Leah," said Conley. "As she's mentioned, she was not the best when she arrived, but she knew what her strengths and weaknesses were and continued to prioritize her life appropriately to be successful in the classroom and on the water."
Â
Walk-ons like Paulson create the core of the program and are paramount in the team's success.
Â
"Our rowers who join without any prior knowledge can be the most exciting people to coach because their learning curves are so great and you see enormous gains each hour of each day you as a coach work with them," said Conley. "It really just takes a desire to be successful, being willing to work really hard and being able to work as a team. Without people willing to take a chance and learn something new, our program would not be over 25 years old and continuing to grow and get faster. It's because of our walk-on process that we have our program, supportive alumni and a current team that wants to learn and race at a high level."
Â
It's not always easy. When a new rower is lost and thinks things will never get better, a success story like Paulson can relate, because she felt that way at one time.Â
Â
"I'd like to think I'm an example of how someone absolutely lost and discouraged can evolve into someone who is confident and much faster than when I started," she said. "Cassie and Corey have definitely pushed me to be a better athlete and a better person. I think the three of us are solid examples of well-rounded Lehigh students who get the most out of everything they're involved in. We are definitely proud to represent Lehigh as walk-ons and share our experiences with younger girls who are going through similar struggles."
Â
"Leah is the epitome of the successful walk-on and what Lehigh Rowing is all about," said Conley. "She came to the sport because of curiosity and a desire to be a part of something bigger than herself. Leah also learned the work ethic that's needed to be successful. She wasn't afraid to fail, but when she did, she learned and tried harder. Leah never settles for just achieving a goal. She looks to see how much she can beat her goals by and then keeps going."
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Players Mentioned
Rowing Season Preview
Friday, March 28
Lehigh Sports Central: Rowing
Wednesday, April 24
