Molly Allen grew up playing volleyball, not doing crew. She was a prominent player here at ETHS and for most of her high school years she was recruiting to play volleyball in college.

But in the summer before senior year, Allen made a decision that would change the course of her post high school plans. She made the switch from volleyball to rowing.

“I realized that I didn’t want to play volleyball in college just because I was going to go D2 or D3, and because of the big size and student population of Evanston, I didn’t want to go to such a small school. I thought it would feel like high school,” said Allen. “I decided to try rowing and I really honestly fell in love with it.”

From the moment she joined the team, she knew she made the right choice.

“So far, I’ve really loved the experience. I think I’ve learned a lot about myself and my body’s capabilities. I know that I’ve learned to push myself a lot harder than I ever have before and I’ve learned that my mental game is pretty strong,” explained Allen.

Allen will be continuing her rowing career at division one Temple University.

“I really loved the team culture of rowing and team culture at the Temple team specifically just because of the diversity and high-level of the team,” remarked Allen. “There’s no feeling [like] being out on the water and having to be so in sync with your other team members, and I’m really looking forward to that.”