Pictured Above: Jakob Armitage (left) races in a South Points SAISA division regatta in Sarasota. Armitage sailed for the Dunedin High School team before coming to USF this semester.
Courtesy of Jakob Armitage
By Lily Theisen
Jakob Armitage never expected he would be starting his freshman year of college in a pandemic. Nevertheless, he is dedicated to making the most of his experience.
Choosing USF St. Petersburg was a no-brainer for Armitage.
“I was looking for two things in a school,” Armitage said. “It was either going to be sailing or marine biology; (the school) had to have one or the other.”
Luckily for Armitage, USF St. Petersburg had both.
But that was before the pandemic.
Armitage said his choices about college had not been affected by the pandemic. He knew his overall college experience would be different and his college sailing career would be put on pause.
However, he wanted to make the best out of his situation.
With the USF Club Sailing Team not being able to compete, Armitage said he feels like his college experience is more “chill” than he anticipated.
“I would love to be out on the water as much as I can,” Armitage said. “But right now we have to take it as it goes along. Right now I am trying to find some other opportunities off-campus for sailing, so I can be better prepared for when we do actually get to be in the boats.”
Erik Volk, Armitage’s high school coach and current USF sailor, said Armitage had always been “very driven.
“He always showed up for the team,” Volk said. “It is a bummer he doesn’t get to experience his freshman year on the water. I remember him being very excited to sail for USF when I coached him before the pandemic.”
Outside of sailing, meeting new friends and diving into the marine biology major remains a possibility for Armitage during the pandemic.
Armitage’s primary interest in marine biology is sharks.
“I have always been born and raised around the water and been interested in sharks,” Armitage explained.
His favorite part of campus life during the pandemic is going to class and being able to pursue his interests.
Armitage hopes to be able to find marine biology internships in the Florida Keys. He also wants to find a job coaching sailing to fill his schedule while he is unable to compete on the sailing team.
Armitage is also looking to become involved in student life.
“I would like to do, in the future, a lot of volunteering for the campus as a whole,” Armitage said. “I would like to scout out the student council to see how it works and the Harborside Activities Board, which looks interesting. I want to have a game plan going for when COVID(-19) ceases to be annoying.”
As a result of Armitage’s outgoing personality and unfaltered optimism, he is able to make the most of his freshman year.
“Jakob is able to get a lot of friends really quickly,” said Blake Eliasson, Armitage’s childhood best friend and current roommate. “He will have maybe one connection, but by the end of the next week, (he) will know 20 to 30 people.”
Even though boats won’t be an active part of what Armitage expected his first year at USF, he still has a lot of sharks to explore and friends to meet who, like him, are able to continue to look on the bright side and keep a positive attitude even during a pandemic.
