In the summer of 2016, then-freshman Rosa Golchin sprinted across a field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, grabbing an incoming frisbee out of the air in a game of ultimate frisbee.

One year later, Golchin was positioned in a canoe behind an instructor as she took a break from a long row along the densely forested sides of the Lexington Reservoir at the Los Gatos Rowing Association.  

After moving to Saratoga in early July, Golchin has been busy finding new hobbies, pursuing old ones and getting used to her new surroundings.

“I haven’t really had a problem transitioning to Saratoga,” Golchin said. “It’s not all that different from North Carolina in terms of academic rigor.”

Golchin misses the friends she became close with during her freshman year and her ultimate frisbee league teammates. Although Golchin loved playing ultimate frisbee in North Carolina, she does not plan to continue pursuing it in California, since most ultimate frisbee leagues are far away.

However, despite leaving her love for ultimate frisbee behind, Golchin has continued to pursue other passions.

Golchin has long been interested in humanities, specifically history and art. After moving to California, Golchin signed up for classes such as AP European History.  

Golchin has also developed new passions such as rowing. After hearing about rowing from her brother, Golchin discovered a local rowing club, where she fell in love with the calming experience of rowing.

This year, Golchin looks forward to meeting new people and trying out new hobbies and classes, as well as enjoying the warmer weather. Golchin is also anticipating the start of rowing practices, where she will spend practice using rowing machines for strength training and then going out on lakes to put her training to use.

“While I do miss North Carolina, I think I’ll be able to find new passions and continue my old ones,” Golchin said.