Charles Nailen/The Hoya  

Sport: Crew

Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.

High School: Baylor High School

School/Year: COL ’03

Major: Government

Minor: French

High School Highlights: MVP for crew senior year . Received the Herbert Barks Spirit Award for the individual who embodies school spirit . Member of NHS.

Georgetown Highlights: Second year lightweight captain . Last season’s lightweight MVP . Big East Academic All-Star in 2001-02 . On the team that finished fourth in the Big East for 2002-03.

When did you start doing crew? Freshman year of high school (I went to a boarding school). I got into it because a friend said to come out for the rowing team. So I tried out but got cut in the fall. Then I trained for the team during the fall, tried out again in the winter and made the team for the spring. So I just kind of fell into it because of my friends. But I loved it from the first day.

What was it like going to a boarding school? I loved it. I lived in a dorm with 40 other girls and I lived on the floor with 10 other girls that were like my sisters. We had dorm parents who were there for us if we ever needed anything. It was almost like going to college four years early, but with more rules. It was only two hours away from home, so I went home every few weeks. I became very independent there and learned a lot about myself growing up with my peers instead of with my parents. It’s something that I’d like to go back to and give something back at some point.

Favorite thing about crew: Two things. First, the fact that it takes eight other people to make the teamwork – the fact that it’s a team sport and I can’t do it alone. And second, that it’s pushed me beyond limits I thought I could never break. It’s a sport that pushes you beyond what you think you can do.

Biggest misconception that others have of you: I don’t think that people realize that I do get scared and nervous for races and for many things in life. But it’s only for a short time, so I think that most people never see it.

If you were stranded on a desert island with one book, one CD and one person, what/who would you bring with you? Book: The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, CD: Tracy Chapman, Person: My brother David. He’s 19.

One thing you hope to do before you graduate: To go see the cherry blossoms.

What’s your offseason regimen like? It’s a lot of land-training and a lot of mental training because we’re not on the water, so you have to keep motivated. We spend a lot of time on the ergs and in the gym and running, so it’s a time to get strong. It’s up to the team whether we’re going to use the time to get strong or dwell on the fact that it’s hard training every day. You really have to stay in the mentality and work together and stay together and push your teammates to be better.

What do you hope to do after graduation? Eventually I’d like to go to business school and get my MBA and eventually go back to Tennessee and work for my family business. We’re in the food business – we make baked beans – and it’s based right in Knoxville. I’ve been interested in it ever since I was little, so I’d like to go back. In the meantime, I’d like to stay in D.C. and work on Capitol Hill on the legislative end and get some experience, and then possibly move to the corporate world.

Characteristic you value most in a friend: Trust.

Something you do to get psyched for a race: I play a lot of mental games. I envision the whole race before we do it, by meters and strokes and checkpoints and what my coxswain is going to say to me. I go off and do that by myself and then we come together as a team and do it.

If you could possess one talent, what would it be? Being able to run fast. I’ve always admired runners.

Hobbies/Collections: I don’t do it as much anymore, but I used to be a Clogger. It’s like tap dancing except we have more taps on our shoes and we make more noise. I did it ever since I was six, and I used to do it competitively. I don’t do it anymore, but when I go back home, I go and practice with my old team. It’s really good exercise and a lot of fun. I also collect cows – any cow paraphernalia.

Favorite thing to order from Wisey’s: Chicken Madness. No peppers.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Bill Cosby, because I grew up with “The Cosby Show.” Ever since I was little, we would watch it every night. He just seems like an amazing man – he’s hilarious and he seems like a good person. I think it’d be fun to sit with him at dinner and laugh.

Siblings: Besides my brother David, I have two older sisters, Kelly who’s 36, and Kristen who’s 35. Kristen lives in San Diego and she’s getting her acupuncture degree, and Kelly is married with a son who’s nine. My parents are divorced, so I also have two stepsisters, Lisa and Sandy, and one stepbrother, Tommy.

Are you ready to graduate? Yes and no . No, I’m not. I’m not ready for crew to be over. I’m excited for the change, but I know it’s going to be scary. I’m worried about the change to life away from the team and being out in the real world and having to be a real person. But I think it’s a good transition, and it’s going to be fun.

Thing you miss most about living at home: Dinner. Every night at my mom’s house we’d have a candlelight dinner and talk about our days. We couldn’t watch TV or answer the phone; we’d just sit for an hour or an hour and a half and just talk. It’s something you don’t quite get living in the fast-paced life.

Person who’s had the biggest influence on you: My mom, just because I think she’s been my number one supporter since day one, and has always told me I could do anything I wanted to do, and she never held me back. Through all of the mother-daughter fights, she would remind me to tell myself that I should think positively and not negatively. She turns my mental thinking around, and tells me if you think negatively all the time, you’ll drive yourself crazy.

If you could relive one moment or experience, what would it be and why? If I could do my summer in France – I studied abroad in Tours after my sophomore year – I’d do that again. I spent six weeks over there, and I’d definitely do that again.

Have you ever met anyone famous? I met Peter Jennings at a book signing at Barnes and Noble. He’s been my idol for a long time, so that was cool. And I also met Newt Gingrich the other week, and John Lithgow when I was in France.

Favorite song: “Fields of Gold.”

First job: Lifeguarding at the University of Tennessee. I love it. I worked in the multi-lingual housing, and trying to get all of the people to get out of the pool was interesting. But it was fun, and I got to learn a lot about different cultures.

Favorite thing about Georgetown: The classes and the fact that they’re so small and that I’ve gotten to know so many of my professors. I really value the small classrooms.

Professor who’s impacted you most profoundly: Dr. Jim Glass – he’s a government professor, and he also teaches at the University of Maryland. He basically teaches about the psychoticness of politics. He’s very interested in the class’ stories, and he relates them to what we’re talking about. And the discussions that we have in class impact me almost every time. He knows a lot about the subject, and he’s just really made me think.

What did you want to be when you were little? A famous singer. I couldn’t sing, but I thought it’d be fun.

Favorite home-cooked meal: The sausage and rice casserole that my mom makes.

Best crew memory: Getting to go to Nationals for the first time my sophomore year – the best memory was training for Nationals, for those two weeks right before. It was something new – we were the first lightweights that had been in a long time, about three or four years. We didn’t have class (Nationals are at the end of May), and I was there with eight people I knew and loved and all we had to do was row twice a day. We also got to know my coach really well, and could just focus on rowing.

Last movie you saw in the theater: Old School. God it was so funny! I can’t wait until it comes out on video.

Biggest pet peeve: Tardiness.

Favorite way to de-stress: Listening to music and trying to nap. Napping and sleeping are right up there.

Least favorite movie: Carrie. I hate horror movies.

Most valuable lesson you’ve learned from doing crew: The importance of dedication. The importance of communication and listening and really learning to be a team player, and not necessarily being the best. Pulling through when you feel like you want to quit, and using those around you to help you get better. That’s one of the important things about my role as a captain. It’s weird to be on a captain of a team sport, because I’m a captain because of my team. It’s not because I’m the best by any means. I couldn’t do it alone, we all do it together.

What’s under your bed right now? Summer clothes waiting to come out.