Drink Red Bull! Use your extra swipes at JJs! Scan Uris QR codes!

Name, School, Major, Sport and Position, Hometown

Chloe Gouhin, Barnard, Computer Science and Psychology, Women’s Fencing team (Sabre), Columbus, Ohio

What are three things you wish you’d known as a freshman and would like to tell athletes in the Class of 2029?

1. The athletics department is awesome! There are so many resources that people should utilize: tutoring, career development. 
2. Athletes are awesome, but also you want to make sure you have a strong community outside your sport. It’s great to have your team and rely on them for support but you go to Columbia and you’re gonna meet so many awesome people. 
3. Use my leftover swipes at JJs to get extra snacks because those oatmeal cups will save me for breakfast for like the entire semester. 

What’s your favorite team memory? 

Each year after our banquet we have a party to get together and have a good time. I think my sophomore end-of-year banquet was probably my favorite day, because I was still an underclassman and I had the energy to be super excited, and that was me seeing my upperclassmen leave, and we were all really excited for them and there was just a lot of love. And we all got to hang out and obviously have a good time. 

What has being on a sports team at Columbia meant to you? 

When I came here I had a team of people I could already rely on, they were super welcoming and kind of brought me in as a member of their family, and my brother didn’t have that [when he went to college], and I didn’t think about how difficult it would have been for me to make friends because I was pretty antisocial back in high school. So when I came into Columbia, I already had this group of people that I could fall back on and meet new people through them. These are gonna be some of the greatest people you’ve ever met and they’ve all done really amazing things once they leave, and it’s just been super awesome to meet just the best people I’ll probably ever meet and really build a good strong support group for the rest of my life. 

What’s next for you?

I’m staying in New York, I wanna keep training. I’m really excited to take some time to really dive into fencing and I do really want to push for the 2028 Olympics. 

How did you get involved with Red Bull? 

I scanned a QR code at Uris. I have no marketing or sales experience whatsoever, but I think that’s the really awesome thing about the role, they kinda take anybody that’s interested enough. And since working at Red Bull, it’s gone from half of a joke about how much I like them to full investment in the brand. I don’t think I will be drinking any other energy drink, even if I don’t work for them, for the rest of my life. 

What’s your favorite part of the job? 

The people, it’s so much fun. You get a can-count each month and you get to decide how you dish that out. We’ve helped with clubs on campus, sports teams, frat parties and things like that, we help with campus events, and it’s just a really cool opportunity to get invested in the community. 

What’s the future of Red Bull on campus?

There’s four members of us on campus, and three of us will be graduating, which means three positions will be opening up come summer. I’m really hoping that some cool people pick it up and we’ll still be around. 

One thing you’d do if you had more time?

I would join every club possible. Fencing takes up so much time but this past year I have joined a frat, I’ve helped out with other clubs, I have done all of these different things and I just wish I had done it sooner and I wish I had more time to do it. 

Whom would you like to thank?

Too many people but everyone on the fencing team from past and present, my coaches for letting me be here in the first place, Dean Grabiner, she’s awesome and has probably been the reason why I’m even graduating, and my wonderful girlfriend, Mina Yamanaka.  

To hear more from Chloe’s interview, check out our Instagram! 

Chloe via Bwog Staff