Courtesy: Stanford Athletics
Landon Alecxih hasn't taken the normal path to becoming a standout rower and a medalist at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships. In fact, his road map to a 4.013 cumulative grade-point average at Stanford isn't a conventional one either.
That's what makes Alecxih's story so special.
“I wanted to go to Stanford ever since high school, but I didn't truly understand what Stanford was about,” Alecxih explained. “In the last year and a half, I have really gotten a sense of how special Stanford is as a place.”
Alecxih grew up in Millersville, Pennsylvania where he became a standout in the classroom at Penn Manor High School and a standout on the court as a captain of the basketball team.
His dream was to go to Stanford.
He applied out of high school, but didn't make the cut.
He chose to attend UCLA. During his first couple weeks on the Los Angeles campus, someone approached the 6-4, 210-pound Alecxih asking him if he was interested in joining the rowing club team.
“I fell in love with the sport right away,” Alecxih said. “There was such a comradery with nine guys working together to achieve something great.”
He continued to row as UCLA's team of walk-ons was whittled down from 120 to less than 40 in a matter of a couple weeks.
UCLA's club team entered its boats into the San Diego Crew Classic in March of his freshman year. One of the most prestigious regattas on the West Coast, Alecxih would face many schools with varsity programs that competed around the country.
One of those crews at the San Diego Crew Classic was Stanford.
Alecxih took advantage of the opportunity, introducing himself to Stanford head coach Craig Amerkhanian. He explained how he would love to row for Stanford one day and was planning on applying to transfer to Stanford.
Amerkhanian and Alecxih remained in touch and it appeared the Pennsylvania native who had been rowing competitively for less than a year was about to realize his dream of studying at Stanford.
After a couple weeks had passed, he received a response from Stanford on his application. He was not accepted.
Alecxih was not discouraged. He continued to row for the club team at UCLA and continued to excel in the classroom. He was on track to receive his undergraduate degree in a little more than two years.
His dream was to go to Stanford, however, and he was not ready to give up on his goal.
Alecxih applied to Stanford for a third time.
In May of 2014 as he was studying for finals at one of the libraries on the UCLA campus, Alecxih took a study break to check his email.
The first email he saw was from Stanford University's Admissions Office, which notified him of his acceptance to Stanford.
“It was surreal,” Alecxih said. “I quietly exited the library and called my parents to tell them the great news right away.”
He later got an email from Craig Amerkhanian with the title “CONGRATULATIONS!”
“I am so proud of Landon and what he has accomplished,” Amerkhanian said. “His perseverance paid off and he is deserving of every bit of his success. We are so thrilled to have him as part of our program.”
Alecxih joined Stanford's rowing program the next fall. He did not want to be out of shape for his first practice so he trained back home in Pennsylvania throughout the summer.
“I was immediately struck by the quality of people on the men's rowing team,” Alecxih said of his first experience with his new team. “They are hard-working individuals. I got comfortable with everyone. It didn't take long. I really enjoy this group.”
As for realizing his dream of studying at Stanford.
“I don't think there is any other university that is comparable to this place,” Alecxih said. “The attitude the students bring is so much about collaboration and innovation. I have never felt that that cutthroat attitude of competition. People are willing to help you, they want you to do well. It is not like, if I do well, they can't do well. There is a real spirit of collaboration at this university and it separates this place from anywhere else.”
He is majoring in economics at Stanford where he is on track to receive his undergraduate degree later this month.
“I knew I was going to be an economics major when I got here because I had done so much of the course work already in economics at UCLA, and I really enjoy how economics impacts cultures worldwide,” said Alecxih, who is thinking about applying to Stanford's MBA program in a couple years.
Alecxih's studies have also included topics such as what could've potentially prevented the financial crisis of 2008 and how we can prevent it from happening again.
He was introduced to Economics 118 professor Pascaline Dupas in the spring of 2015.
“She said on the first day of class that she hopes to take some students on a research trip to Ghana and I was immediately interested,” Alecxih said.
He was selected to join the group that traveled to Ghana last summer for two weeks, performing randomized controlled trials that studied the effects of education long term on people's lives.
“I'm so glad I had this opportunity and really got to explore a different culture while learning so much,” said Alecxih, who has visited 11 countries – Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Spain, Ireland, France, Portugal, China, Australia, and Ghana – already. “It was a tremendous experience. You don't have too many opportunities like that. It helps me learn how I would like to use my life to help others.
Two days before leaving the African country, Alecxih became ill. He traveled home with his group back to campus.
“I was not myself for a couple months after that, health-wise and conditioning-wise,” Alecxih explained. “It wiped a lot out of me, but it wasn't anything too serious. I was able to recover and gain my energy back.”
Alecxih came back to campus after the trip, but was limited in his training until the winter break.
“I didn't know how hard I was going to have to work to get back,” Alecxih explained. “It has been extremely challenging to maintain academics and give everything I have to rowing. Rowing has pushed me. It has been a rewarding experience though.”
Alecxih has received multiple A+ grades for his work at Stanford and owns a 4.013 cumulative grade-point average. He was honored as the Pac-12 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in May. The senior has rowed in the second varsity eight each of his two seasons at Stanford.
“Landon had to come back from so much,” Amerkhanian said. “He battled back and made one of our boats. This is a great example of his character and determination to achieve his goals. We are all so proud of what he has accomplished in the classroom and in rowing. It's a big deal to be honored as the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Landon deserves this. He has represented Stanford well and has a very bright future ahead of him.”
The Cardinal fielded two boats at the IRA Championships last June. Alecxih was part of the varsity four that would compete for a National Championship.
“That experience was by far the pinnacle of my athletic career,” Alecxih explained. “We put the lineup together a week before event and our expectations were somewhat limited. We started dropping some pretty fast times during time trails and then opened the race in the heat on Friday as one of the fastest boats.”
With his parents there to cheer him on at the IRA Championships last year in New Jersey, Alecxih's varsity four captured the Bronze Medal.
“I'm very thankful for Stanford and for Craig for giving me this opportunity,” Alecxih said. “The support from my coaches, my teammates and this entire University has been outstanding. It is going to be sad when this experience comes to an end. I have enjoyed every second of it.”
Alecxih is back in New Jersey this week at the 2016 IRA Championships. He is the stroke of the varsity four this year and hopes to capture some more medals. Above all, he is grateful for his experience at Stanford and glad he never gave up on his dream.