Andrew Rowe

The only thing I wanted for my eleventh birthday was a DNA test to learn more about the strands of the past that created who I am. I have always been fascinated by history, but this was personal and prompted by the countless hours I spent listening to my grandparents’ stories. From those stories I know DNA was the result of chance encounters over time, but who I am today reflects traits I’ve learned from my grandparents perseverance, loyalty, communication, and curiosity.

My grandparents met in serendipitous circumstances, with their loyalty and perseverance leading to a combined one hundred years of marriage. My maternal grandparents met while riding a crowded subway to school in New York. Both of them were from immigrant families, which gave them common ground and, as a result, their relationship blossomed. My paternal grandparents met through a blind date while my grandfather, Papa, was at basic training in New Jersey preparing to go to Vietnam. Because Papa was from Arkansas, he was set up with the girl named Georgia as a joke referencing him as a “country boy.” After the blind date, the two never looked back. 

Not only do I carry the genetic traits of my four grandparents, but I’ve been inspired by their perseverance and loyalty. I’ve also learned individual lessons from each of them. Opa’s ability to adapt to his surroundings, combined with his remarkable determination as an immigrant in New York to work through school and eventually become a respected anatomy professor. I’ve tried to honor that path by taking advantage of the educational opportunities I’m privileged to have. Grandmommy’s communication and patience are showcased in her long career as a middle school teacher. I’m sure my interest in public speaking comes from her. Gigi’s affable personality and respect for others allows her to befriend everyone, including that country boy from Arkansas. I think of Gigi when I work to give back to others. Papa’s tenacity and courage are demonstrated during his time in Vietnam. I’ve used his advice in my athletic endeavors. I admire my grandparents' remarkable qualities, and I strive to demonstrate them in my life.

When my mother first met my paternal great-grandfather, Pop Pop Joe, they discussed his eastern European ancestry. The conversation then turned to my mom’s family, including Opa, my maternal grandfather, and his emigration from Germany after WWII. When Opa was eight, in 1952, he left a displaced persons camp in Germany for New York City. He sailed on the USS Ballou past Ellis Island into New York City harbor with his older brothers, mother, and father, demonstrating bravery and a drive to start a new life. This story grabbed Pop Pop Joe’s attention because he was a Chief Petty Officer on the USS Ballou during the same trip across the Atlantic. His own place on that vessel was also due to perseverance in rising through the enlisted ranks. After some quick research, my parents confirmed that my maternal grandfather and paternal great-grandfather did, in fact, sail across the Atlantic on the same voyage in 1952. In an unlikely turn of events, Opa and Pop Pop Joe (and my mother and father) were connected by happenstance and traits I’ve inherited and nurtured. 

I cherish the time I spent listening to stories, baking in the kitchen, enjoying long boat rides, and spending hours watching sports with all of my grandparents. The DNA test when I was eleven years old ultimately enabled me to connect to my grandparents’ countless stories on a more personal level, a journey that helped me realize how interwoven I am with them. And, my favorite story shows that the traits and connections are more profound than anyone would have expected. Chance encounters brought my grandparents' lives together in ways that created my DNA; thanks to those relationships and the lessons I learned, I became the person I am today.