It’s only October, and senior Joslynn Hurley has already received three college scholarship offers for both her academics and participation in crew, not a widely known sport at PA. 

Hurley started crew her freshman year and is now going into her fourth season. She said that she first heard about crew from teammates on her swim team. “I was looking to do another sport, but I am not very coordinated so the crew sounded perfect for me,” Hurley said, who is currently ranked in the top 30 of the senior class. 

She participated in a summer program through Concord Crew to test it out and fell in love with the sport.

And, as it turned out, she was good at it, too.

Hurley said that crew is a tough sport and has helped her to learn time management and stay strong mentally. “This sport is not cheap, or easy,” she said. “It is time consuming and my parents are asked to help get involved. So not only do they come and support me, but they support my team as well.”

She competes in both the fall and spring seasons, practices six days a week, three hours a day, and has full day regattas on Sundays. 

The scholarships are presented from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., and Stockton University in Galloway Township, N.J.

From Sacred Heart University, Hurley received both an academic and athletic scholarship, and would receive $30,000 per year.  Sacred Heart is a Division I school, meaning it is able to provide both academic and athletic scholarships, whereas Stockton University can only provide academic scholarships due to its rank as a Division III school. Stockton University is offering Hurley, who has a cumulative GPA of 3.6, $16,000 a year. 

Though she has visited both campuses, she has yet to make a decision. Hurley plans to major in marine science and hopes to eventually be a marine biologist, a career she’s wanted since age 5. 

But Hurley said she cannot see her involvement in crew ending, even after college.

“If I was given the opportunity to pursue crew after college I would take it,” she said. “Whether it be a master program or team, or something like the Olympics, I plan to stay active in the sport. I would even help coach a team near me if I could.”