Putting things in perspective

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications

Life isn't easy. Some days are harder than others, but for Lehigh junior rower Abigail Shreero, obtaining her EMT certification this past summer has helped change her outlook.

"As an EMT, you're showing up on peoples' worst days," she said. "It really put everything into perspective of what I thought was a bad day."

A biochemistry major, Shreero originally wanted to focus on research, but realized she thrives when interacting with people. That realization led to aspirations of becoming a physician assistant.

"I like to help people, so it's the best way for me to interact with people and help them," said Shreero.

To become a physician assistant, Shreero needs to fulfill several requirements. One of the first requirements led her to the prospects of earning her EMT certification, which sounded intriguing to her.

"This summer, certification took 10 weeks, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.," she said. "Then on top of that, we had to get 911 experience, so I went out with someone on an ambulance and responded to calls."

After earning her certificate, Shreero has continued to garner EMT hours while at Lehigh this school year. She has enough on her plate between academics and athletics, but she also works several night shifts of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

"If there's not a current call, you can sleep, study and do whatever you want as long as you're on campus," said Shreero, who needs to be ready at any moment when on call. "It's definitely helpful to have that option of a night shift, because I couldn't do a day shift with practice."

Shreero's experiences have led to greater perspective in other areas of her life. When deciding on her college choice, the Fort Washington, Pa. native found Lehigh to be exactly what she wanted in a school.

"I wanted to be close to home," said Shreero. "It was the right-sized school and I knew I wanted to row in college. I knew I couldn't be at one of the top programs because I came in as a lightweight and didn't have the scores, but I wanted the experience. Lehigh was able to provide the kind of academics I wanted, and also a team I could be a part of and contribute to."

At Lehigh, Shreero had to adjust to working with many inexperienced walk-ons.

"I came from a school (Mount Saint Joseph Academy) where there was a little over 500 people with probably almost 100 on the rowing team," she said. "It was a very intense environment. The adjustment to being in a boat with people who never rowed before was difficult, but it definitely helped me grow and figure out that I need to use my knowledge to help others. It was definitely a shift in mentality."

As an experienced rower, Shreero was forced to lead. She has been a strong leader by example ever since stepping foot on campus.

"I'm not a very vocal leader, but I'm the kind of person who sits down and gets the work done," she said. "It doesn't matter if you're tired; you give everything you have every day. I try to be there for the walk-ons to help their transition go smoothly."

One of Shreero's great attributes is her calmness, both on and off the water. That characteristic serves her well in her role as EMT.

"The people I worked with over the summer were always very calm whenever we got a call," said Shreero. "It told me that I don't need to be anxious. Take it one step at a time. There's no reason to start running around because it's just going to make things harder."

"When Abby gets into her element, she is very stoic and can channel her energy into the racing," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "She is aggressive, wants to win each day and will try to do that anytime the oar touches the water. Rowing requires that aggressiveness, but calmness to not disturb the boat when the oar is out of the water."

Through her EMT experiences, Shreero has also learned how to deal with all types of people in different situations, a skill that translates into all areas of life.

"I saw how different people respond to certain situations," she said. "I saw some really bad calls, including times when you're there laughing with the patient."

Whether it's in an emergency situation as an EMT or on the water where stakes aren't nearly as high, Shreero knows that everyone is different. She hopes to help translate that understanding into continued growth of the Lehigh Rowing program.

"In the boat, Abby has developed into a very vocal leader, but during winter training Abby leads more by example," said senior Madeleine Wescott, who was also a teammate of Shreero at Mount Saint Joseph Academy. "Abby sets the bar high for herself and her teammates, and lets people know when we aren't hitting the mark. Abby is easily one of the most competitive and toughest people I know, and this demeanor carries over in how she leads."

Shreero was hurt this fall, so she had a new position as a coxswain, something that's solely based around working with people. It was her first-ever experience coxing.

"I was panicked at first, but knowing how to be calm, it really helped me help the other rowers be calm," she said. "I learned how to handle those situations. Staying calm helps people around you."

Shreero still has a lot of work to do to become a physician assistant, but a big step - obtaining her EMT certification - is officially in the books. She has to keep earning EMT hours, take her GREs and apply to graduate school.

In the meantime, Shreero still has two years at Lehigh remaining and looks to continue making memories with her teammates.

"One of my big memories so far is from last year, spring break, when we went to Lake Nockamixon and stayed in cabins," said Shreero. "It was a really good bonding experience; we really bonded with the freshmen who we knew, but not at a very deep level. It was cold and raining. Having us all together, we really connected as one group and became that one team we were trying to form."

Other memories, gained through worthwhile experiences, will lead to success post-graduation.

"You have to be an advocate for yourself among the professors, which is definitely going to help in the real world when there's not someone there to hold your hand," said Shreero. "If you need help, you have to ask. If you have an issue, you have to take the initiative."

One of Shreero's biggest takeaways since coming to Lehigh has been the perspective gained as an EMT. It she ever gets frustrated, whether she's on or off the water, she understands it's one small problem. All she can do is learn from it and get better.

"This year, Abby has had a great perspective in terms of how to use the process to improve," said Conley. "Despite an injury, she has worked her way back into the mix of competing for the top boats in the program. She doesn't let the unimportant things bother her anymore and is able to focus on what will help her achieve her goals. It's exciting to watch."

"If I'm frustrated, now I have that mentality to take it and improve the next time, which I had some trouble with in the past," said Shreero. "Now, I realize my small problems are so insignificant in the grand scheme of everything."

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