For most of her life, Katherine Jennings saw herself as a swimmer. End of story.
“I swam for 14 years,” the third-year Commerce student says. “That was such a big part of my identity.” But suddenly, she contemplated life outside of the sport she loved.
A shoulder injury forced her to make a big decision: continue swimming and likely face surgery, or try something new. Around the same time, she transferred from public to private school, where rowing had a strong presence. With encouragement from a crew coach recruiting for the team, Katherine decided to give it a try. What initially felt like a detour became a turning point.
“The biggest thing I took away from the switch is that it’s not the sport. It’s the people you do it with,” she says. “It gives you purpose. It makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself.”
That mindset would be tested. Her college experience on the UVA Women’s Rowing team has included a torn shoulder, surgery, a broken rib, and a lingering concussion.
“It’s a big up and down of wanting to go all in,” she says, “but then getting injured and your body telling you to slow down.”
Those setbacks were understandably difficult. Suddenly, without being able to help her team compete, her sense of purpose felt uncertain. But over time, she began to find it elsewhere.
At McIntire, that shift took hold. Being part of Block 8 during the fall semester of her third year gave her a new perspective. “Having a major gave me just as much purpose as my sport did,” she says.
Double-majoring in Commerce and English, Katherine has built an identity that stretches across disciplines. What draws her to Commerce is not just the technical side, but the thinking behind it.
“The part of finance that I love is that theoretical aspect where you get to understand how everything pieces together,” she says. “And my interest is really driven by figuring out how people think and why they make the decisions that they do.”
English, which she had first added to her schedule as a backup major, has sharpened her communication skills.
“My English classes have taught me how to express ideas and get across a point,” says Katherine. “I also love to write. I can sit down and write for hours, and it doesn’t feel like work.”
Together, the two fields shape both how she thinks and connects with others.
“My majors don’t feel like requirements,” she says. “They feel like things I get to do.”
That same perspective carries into teamwork. In McIntire’s Integrated Core, she found a group dynamic that rivaled any athletic team.
“They’re people that I would literally do anything for,” she says. “When you’re staying up until 4 a.m. working, it’s suddenly enjoyable.”
Those relationships mattered most during her recovery from a concussion. She relied on communication and trust.
“When I was feeling good, I gave my all,” she says. “And when I needed to step back, they understood.”
Now, Katherine sees herself differently than she once did. Being an athlete is still part of her story, but it no longer defines it. What defines her instead is a balance of curiosity, resilience, and connection. A student who moves easily between finance and literature. A teammate who values people above all else.
“I wake up every day and feel so grateful that I get to do what I do,” she says.
