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62 "I want to be an audiologist," she said. "I would like to work in a school; speech pathology is partnered with audiology, so possibly working in both of those." Watson's love of music hasn't passed. When free time permits, she can be found in her living room with her roommates, playing guitar. Or she might make a trip to Currier Hall and play the piano for hours. While Watson knew she wouldn't major in music at the UI, she had no idea she would become a Hawkeye student-athlete. "It is a blessing," she said. "I can't imagine anything more. I had never seen or heard of rowing before and now it is basically my life. I'm so blessed to have my teammates and coaches who are always there to support me, and it makes me a better student and person because I am always held accountable." With two-a-day practices most of the week, there is no time for Watson to put off her studies. Homework gets completed on time and a support system exists for her to excel in the classroom. And even though Watson didn't experience sports in high school, she conveys a physical and leadership presence to the Hawkeye program. "She brings a high level of what I would call athletic maturity to the table," Carter said. "She seems to understand what it is we are trying to do when you talk about tactical aspects, training aspects, or even strategy and tactics. She is attentive and takes to it quite quickly. As a result, people tend to follow her. I'm not sure if she even recognizes that but people tend to follow what she is doing. She is a quiet leader." Believe it or not, there are plenty of similarities between excelling in show choir and excelling in rowing. Both require teamwork and coordination, both promote staying active and fit, both demand a healthy body. "(Rowing) is very team oriented, which is a good thing," Watson said. "It is kind of the same set up with show choir, definitely different intensity levels, but the team aspect that there are nine people in the boat and you have to be moving together. You could have a superstar in one seat and then maybe a person who has really good rhythm, but if you're matched together and you're moving together, that's the main point to move the boat as fast as you can."