SAN DIEGO – Rowers who first pulled an oar for USD in the 1980s sat alongside Toreros who recently graduated from the university and the program this May, all in the same room, on the same mission: making sure anyone who has ever worn the Torero uniform never really leaves the boat.
That was the spirit behind the program’s first-ever Alumni Board Retreat, held Saturday, June 6, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Warren Room inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The morning opened over pastries and coffee and closed with a walk through USD’s new Wellness Center, but in between was something the program has never formally had: a room full of generations of USD rowers, together, building something meant to outlast all of them.
“I’m really excited to have alumnae who want to help create aboard that engages alumnae and supports the current team,” second year head coach Katie Thurstin said. “It’s been fun hearing their stories and how their time at USD has shaped who they are and the lives they are leading. Their legacy is a part of our story, and their involvement will only make our program better.”
Sixteen alumnae made the trip, spanning the full history of the program: Monty Fernandez ’15, Kelly Hulsing ’18, Carla Kinnunen ’17, Uche Anyanwu ’17, Laura DeMarco ’84, Gillian Emezie (Duncan) ’19, Claire Moreman ’23, Virginia Yourg (Stehly) ’83, Annamaria Grune ’83, Ali Cox ’01, Sara Schechner ’26, Vivien Goretic ’26, Andrea Kellogg ’94, Lauren Mohrman ’19, Michelle Buchanan and Madison Peterson (Hirchag) ’21. Most came back to their old stomping grounds in person and some joining virtually, because they believed in what Thurstin was asking them to help build.
For most of the program’s history, that connection hasn’t formally existed. Once athletes graduated, they scattered, and the program moved on without a structured way to bring them back in. Thurstin sees that as more than a missed opportunity.
“I think this is a disservice to the women who’ve been a part of this team in the past and a missed opportunity for the current athletes,” Thurstin said.
So she set out to change it. The goal of the retreat was to gather alumnae willing to help shape a real, lasting alumni board, one with a defined mission and the staying power to serve the program for decades to come. That mission includes mentoring current athletes, opening homes to out of state and international students as host families, showing up to cheer on the water at regattas, and helping meet the program’s capital needs.
What it means, ultimately, is simple: every woman who has ever rowed for USD, and every woman who ever will, should feel like she still has a seat at this table.
“Rowing is such a unique sport and creates such foundational experiences that can really shape and direct our lives,” Thurstin said. “I don’t think that connection has to be severed just because you graduate.”
The retreat was the first step in making sure it doesn’t.
If any alumni are interested in continuing to help make a difference and stay involved, reach out to coach Thurstin via email at kthurstin@sandiego.edu.
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