Quick Chat: Ada Rohan

By John Frierson
Staff Writer

Ada Rohan knows exactly what she wants to be doing in 10 years. The Georgia equestrian senior got a taste of it over the summer during an internship at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

A native of Montpelier, Vt., Rohan loves her home state — its beauty, its opportunities for outdoor fun — but she might love Nike sneakers even more. One of the perks of working at Nike, which she took full advantage of, is access to the on-campus Nike shop.

During a recent Quick Chat, Rohan talked about her home state, her love of maple syrup, her future, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:

Frierson: Does riding mean something different to you now than it did when you first got started?

Rohan: When I first got started, it was just something that I enjoyed. Then I was introduced to the more competitive side, and I've been able to lean into that. Also, it's a team sport here, which is very different.

Frierson: You go from competing essentially as an individual to being part of a team with about 60 teammates. Is that almost like joining a sorority or something?

Rohan: A little bit. I really like it. In high school, when you're competing, you don't really have time for a lot of extracurriculars at school. It's nice to have teammates that have the same schedule and the same interests as you do.

Frierson: When you think of home, what comes to mind?

Rohan: It's a very small town (about 8,000 people) — it's the capital, but it's really small. There are bigger cities in Vermont; I have twin brothers and both of them go to the University of Vermont, which is in Burlington. It's a very small town, you've got to make your own fun because there's definitely not a ton to do, so it's fun to have more of a city feel around here.

Frierson: I spent a week in Stowe last summer.

Rohan: I once worked at Stowe Mountain, teaching skiing.

Frierson: It's a gorgeous state with a ton to do if you like getting outside, so do you envision moving back there one day? It's pretty small, but there's a lot to love.

Rohan: There definitely is a lot to love. Ideally, I'd like to make enough money to have a house in Vermont that I could go to, to ski; the summer's are beautiful — high in the 70s, 80s, and just so green. It's really nice.

Frierson: When I was in Stowe, I made one of the most amazing discoveries of my life: Laughing Moon Chocolates.

Rohan: Yes, one of my mom's clients — she's a horseback riding instructor — works there. It's really good. It's so good, right?

Frierson: It's so much better than any chocolate I've ever encountered, and I don't know why. Those maple buttercreams are legitimately among the best things I've ever tasted.

Rohan: It's so good.

Frierson: How do you feel about maple syrup?

Rohan: I love maple syrup. I am a diehard for maple syrup. My brother and my mom came in town a few weeks ago and we went to breakfast downtown, and they didn't have real maple syrup. I was like, I don't even touch it (the artificial stuff). I'm such a snob, and I know it, and I know I'm so particular, but I will not have fake maple syrup. Ugh, I can't do it.

Frierson: Did you grow up skiing all the time?

Rohan: Yeah, my brothers and my dad and I — my mom ski's a little bit — but we would all go skiing a lot. We'd do downhill and cross-country skiing. We used to ski around our house and make a little trail just for fun.

Frierson: I heard you did an internship with Nike over the summer. What was that experience like?

Rohan: Oh, it was amazing. Best summer ever. I was in Global Brand Marketing, on the kids team, and so I had two projects that I was working on. One was looking at how Nike can best lead with girls and get girls moving and more involved within sport. And then we did an intern combine project where you're randomly placed with six other interns and you have a topic or problem and you're trying to find a solution for it. Our project was focused on sustainability, and specifically footwear. ...

It was amazing, and that campus is insane. ... I definitely bought way too many pairs of shoes. You kind of have to, you know; it just kind of comes with it.

Frierson: So, in a perfect world, what are you doing in 10 years?

Rohan: Working for Nike. I'm going back after I graduate, hopefully. And people stay at Nike for a while; my V.P. that I was under, she's worked for Nike for like 25 years. So that's definitely where I want to end my career.

Frierson: When you went home from Oregon, did you have to ship a few extra bags full of Nike stuff that you'd acquired?

Rohan: I had to ship my shoes back [laughs] because I had so many shoes. They have an employee store. These (Nike Air Force) shoes that I have on, I waited in line for like two hours to get, at the employee store. I got there at 7 a.m., and there were people there who had been camping out. It's crazy.

(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.

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