Alumna Profile: Catherine Crowe ’04 (Soul) Cycles Her Way Into Pepperdine Law School

Indian Creek alumna Catherine Crowe’s journey has taken her from the East to the West Coast, from studying English and Communications at Boston College as an undergraduate to NYC, where she worked in Legal Recruitment Marketing, and now to Pepperdine University, where she is currently in law school. In between it all, she has also become popular SoulCycle instructor in the Los Angeles area.

It was during her time in NYC that Ms. Crowe fell in love with SoulCycle, a 45-minute full-body indoor cycling workout where students ride to the beat of the music in a dark, candlelit room. “It was the most fun I’d ever had while working out, and I also loved the mental component (similar to that which you’d find in a yoga class), so when they were opening their first studio in [Washington] D.C., I decided to take a little detour from my law plans and work for SoulCycle for a few years. I taught in New York, D.C., and Dallas before moving to California last August to begin law school at Pepperdine.”

Ms. Crowe loves to read and says that diagramming sentences while a student at Indian Creek School (ICS) was a “game-changer” and “really fun.” Last semester, Ms. Crowe managed to get an A in her Legal Research and Writing class, something that she attributes entirely to how well ICS set her up for success in terms of grammar. “Even as [first year law students], so many of my peers have trouble with subject-verb agreement, and, as my professor recently told me in office hours, few could give the definition of a ‘gerund’ or even an ‘adverb.’” Ms. Crowe credits many ICS teachers with having a positive impact on her life, but Mrs. Jennifer Malachowski stands out as especially important. “[Mrs. Malachowski] taught me English and Spanish and was also our Student Government Association advisor when I was an SGA officer. I’m not sure whether it was an early-onset identity crisis or if I just really had an aversion to the letter “e,” but when I decided to stop spelling my name “Catherine” and begin spelling it “Cathrin,” she supported my middle school insanity, and I’ll never forget it.” Ms. Crowe still keeps in touch with her classmates from ICS, whom she refers to as her “closest friends in the world.”

Ms. Crowe has the following advice to her fellow Creekers: “Take the time to get a little bit of real-world experience before pursuing a higher degree. I think that’s really beneficial in terms of making your resume stand out and helping you develop a professional demeanor, as well as giving you more to talk about in job interviews! And take a little time to hold a job that you’re really passionate about. At SoulCycle, I help my riders bridge the gap between the mind and the body in pursuit of whatever mental, emotional, or physical outcome they desire. It’s a job I truly couldn’t love more, and I feel so lucky to be able to do it alongside my law studies.”
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Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland.  Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.