Courtesy of LC Athletics
Transfer students are admitted to Lewis & Clark, joining first years during orientation week as they are welcomed to the college’s community. Some transfers argue that including them in first year orientation is unnecessary as they are familiar with university life. That may be true, but the transfer student experience is similar to that of a first year student in a crucial way: both are trying to find a place for themselves at LC from a clean slate. Tori Westgate ’26 and Camille Blumberg ’27, two transfer students who rowed for the crew team for the 2025-26 academic year, sat down with The Mossy Log to discuss their experiences.
Reasons why students choose to transfer colleges vary. In the case of Westgate, they said that their previous university’s academic structure was not the right fit for them, and that they were looking for something different. Blumberg, on the other hand, had always planned to transfer to a private institution after studying at a community college. She claimed that LC offered her the best financial aid, which led to her choosing the college.
As transfers, both students developed an interest in the crew team as a way to build new connections and try something new. Prior to attending LC, Westgate was a midfielder for Cal Poly Humboldt’s soccer team. Although they were passionate about sports and being part of a team, they felt that the sport was not the right fit for them.
For Westgate, crew offered them a novel way to experience what they loved about competitive sports. “I hadn’t done crew before this. It was a cool experience to be so close to the river, and have the opportunity to do it. There’s not a lot of places where you can do it,” Westgate told The Mossy Log.
Blumberg said that the accessibility of joining the team drew her in, as she was searching for an easy way to make connections on-campus. “It’s an accessible, walk-on sport. Most people who start it, unless they’ve been recruited, don’t have prior experience in rowing. I initially joined it as a fun way to hang out in nature and make friends.”
The transition to competing in collegiate athletics depends heavily on the transfer student. Those with prior experience in college level sports are accustomed to the demanding routine of a student athlete. Westgate was used to after class practices, waking up early in the morning, and dedicating large amounts of time in their week to their duties as an athlete. However, it took them time to adjust to exerting their body in a new way, as soccer and rowing have different physical demands. Blumberg had not played at a college level and had a harder time adjusting. She recalled the challenge of having a busy schedule being both a biology major and a student athlete. In her words: “You have classes and you have practice. That’s it, that’s your whole week.” Despite the “extreme introduction” Blumberg said that crew made her a lot more resilient.
In terms of their academic transition, the experiences of Westgate and Blumberg have been positive, although not without some frustrations. In the case of Westgate, it was easy for them to transfer what they had learned at Humboldt to LC, as they continued their journey as an Environmental Studies major. However, in their words, they needed to “finesse” their way to get LC to acknowledge their credits. They also felt that the school did not offer adequate resources to address the academic challenges they faced as a transfer student. In spite of this, Westgate described studying at LC in a positive light, saying the school’s smaller class sizes and curriculum makes them feel more engaged and interested in their courses. “It’s definitely helped me feel more connected to the material and that I actually want to learn it.”
Blumberg echoed Westgate’s frustrations with credits when discussing her experiences. According to her, it was “annoying” to meet the college’s general education requirements, saying it threw her academic progression off-kilter. “I’ve done two years (of college), and all of a sudden, I feel like I’m a freshmen again because I have to do up to 201 in a language,” Blumberg said. She also described a poor experience with academic advisors. She said that if she approached a meeting with her advisors prepared, they would dismiss her, assuming she did not need their help. When her advisors did try to help, their assistance was sometimes less than useful, suggesting that she take courses not offered in the semester she was planning for. Despite these frustrations, Blumberg had positive things to say about her transition to LC. She feels that it is easy for her to reach out and get support academically, and that she was able to find her footing in pursuing a biology major from scratch because of the college’s accessible curriculum.
Transferring to a new college goes beyond an academic transition, as transfer students are also starting fresh socially. Both Westgate and Blumberg have said that this transition has gone smoothly. Westgate said that their previous college experience helped them understand what type of people they enjoyed being around. Blumberg expressed that being on the crew team allowed her to develop multiple friendships. However, Westgate and Blumberg agreed with the college’s social scene being described as “cliquey.” Westgate said that this aspect made it harder for them to find friends, as they were not looking to join any large friend groups and prefer more one-on-one personal relationships. The school’s cliqueness made it more challenging to find people willing to peel off and develop the kind of friendships Westgate was looking for. Blumberg said that the school’s cliqueness would have made it a lot more difficult for her to find friends had she not been part of a sports team.
In spite of challenges they have faced, both Westgate and Blumberg have found their place within the LC community, and their experiences demonstrate how welcoming the school can be. However, they also demonstrate many of the college’s shortcomings. If LC is to continue admitting transfers, it is necessary that they provide support and adequately address the academic needs of said students. Additionally, it must work to create a more open school culture, one in which students are able to make connections not in spite of the college’s culture, but because of it.
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