Every day after school, Allderdice senior Charlie Aber can be found on the Allegheny River chasing his dream of rowing collegiately. On April 24, at the height of spring racing season, his dream came to fruition as he signed to row at Tufts University.

Aber began rowing at Allderdice Crew in his freshman year before switching to Three Rivers Youth Rowing during his junior year for expanded college recruitment exposure. In just two seasons with the club, Aber established himself as one of the top recruits in his class. His standout 2000-meter erg score and on-water race results drew attention from coaches nationwide.

When Aber began at Three Rivers, he lacked much of the racing experience of his peers. Nonetheless, he quickly rose through the ranks and has been a permanent fixture in the club’s top varsity boats since. After only two months on the team, Aber was one of four athletes selected to race at the Head of the Charles, the world’s largest regatta. In the men’s youth coxed quad event, he placed in the top half of an internationally competitive field. On the experience, he said, “Racing at the Head of the Charles was one of my biggest accomplishments. It showed me that I had succeeded at something that I invested so much time in, and it helped me see that rowing was the thing for me.”

Aber’s success continued into the spring, where he qualified for the 2024 USRowing Youth National Championships with the same crew in the men’s youth four event.

The following summer, Aber attended the month-long USRowing Under-19 Selection Development Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. The camp invited the top high school athletes in the country to train with elite coaches and compete for a chance to race at the World Rowing Championships. Aber credited his experience at camp with helping him navigate the college recruitment process. “Selection Dev was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Waking up every morning with a bunch of other guys who just want to go fast was an amazing feeling. I think being around other highly skilled rowers helped me realize where I fit in with the pack, so I knew where to aim and not sell myself short.”

Aber picked up where he left off for the 2024-25 season. He again placed in the top half at the Head of the Charles in the quad and medaled in the varsity eight and four at several other fall regattas. On May 18, at the Midwest Junior Rowing Championship, he won gold in the men's varsity pair by over seven seconds to qualify for nationals again.

Charlie Aber (right) and his pair partner, Syracuse Rowing commit Grant Brauer (left), approaching the finish line with an open water lead at the Midwest Junior Rowing Championship (Photo by Joseph Mettenburg)

Aber communicated with several top rowing programs throughout the season but ultimately chose Tufts because of the positive interactions he had with the coach and team members.“Tufts offered everything I wanted. I also knew that some of my friends from Selection Dev were going, so I figured the fun would continue.”

Tufts consistently ranks as the top Division III rowing program in the country. At the 2024 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship, they placed 3rd in the Division III eight final. On May 30, they return to IRAs, hoping to win it all.

Aber’s immense success on the water is paralleled by his work in the classroom. He sits amongst the top of his class, all while balancing the demanding schedule of a year-long athlete. His schedule entails six two-and-a-half-hour team practices and several additional independent training sessions. Despite this, he nearly maxed out the course rigor at Allderdice. On balancing life as a student athlete, he said, “I show up to school every day and try to get as much work done as possible so I don’t have any homework. Having practice every day is a big commitment, so managing my time well is my number one priority.”

Aber’s AP Chemistry teacher, Mr. Milcic, said he was a pleasure to have in class. “I’m certain that [Charlie] will succeed both academically and as a member of the crew team.”

Aber plans to major in international relations at Tufts. On his future plans, he said, “I picked international relations because The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is one of the best programs in the country. Hopefully, I can secure a job in the private sector and work for a multinational corporation where I can work on connecting different cultures.”

Aber’s final high school races will be in the men’s varsity pair at the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida from June 12-15.