A Newsletter for Friends and Alumni of the University of Washington
Student Spotlight: Husky Athlete Drew Stephen Fowler

Even during his summer break, Husky Crew team member Drew Stephen Fowler woke up at 5 a.m six days a week to train. For Fowler, that was sleeping in, relative to the school year, when he rolls out of bed at 4:40 a.m. for practice. “I always figure that if you’re not tired at the end of every day, you did something very wrong,” says Fowler, who is a senior this year. “I like working hard. I draw a great deal of satisfaction from it.” Fowler’s work ethic and that of his teammates paid off last June when the Washington Men’s Crew team won the national championships in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Fowler’s total immersion in crew was somewhat unexpected, given he had never rowed before coming to the UW. At Kentwood High School, he was captain of the football team that won two state championships. After high school, he enrolled at Western Washington University, where he was voted captain of the freshmen football team. After dislocating his shoulder, he was introduced to the ergometer machine, which mimics the movement of rowing. He loved rowing and the idea of being a Husky, so he decided to give up football and pursue crew at the UW. “I feel like I owe such a debt of gratitude to crew as a sport and especially the crew team at Washington,” Fowler says.

A history major, Fowler perseveres off the water as well. He is the recipient of the Dick Erickson Endowed Crew Scholarship, which is awarded based on academic and athletic excellence, as well as leadership and inspirational qualities. Fowler is specializing in the history of science, and recently completed an independent study on Norway’s efforts during World War II to stall Nazi atomic research.

Fowler plans to pursue a graduate degree in education or business. For now, he’s looking forward to another year full of long days spent on the water and in the classroom. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing anything else,” he says.

For more on Husky athletics, visit http://gohuskies.com.

Return to Fall 2007 Campaign Newsletter