ODU Lacrosse Defender Anna Davis Now Sets Her Sights On Helping Defend Against Diseases

By James Mitchell

Senior defender Anna Davis was looking forward to her final year on the Old Dominion lacrosse team. One of three captains chosen prior to the start of the season, Davis was coming off of a junior campaign where she started each game in the ODU defensive backfield and broke personal records by picking up 17 ground balls and causing nine turnovers. 
 
But just like so many of the other student-athletes in the country, Davis' season came to a screeching halt when the NCAA announced that all spring sports championships had been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
 
"It was definitely heartbreaking because I am a huge planner. Before my season even started, I had a good idea of how I planned on it playing out and how I saw it ending," Davis said. "I was at the grocery store when I got the official word that our season was canceled and it was like the world was put on pause.
 
"It's weird not seeing my teammates every day. I am so used to seeing the same group of girls for at least four hours a day, and then I would expect to see at least some of them again on the way to class."
 
Davis has a unique perspective on the crisis, as she is not only successful on the lacrosse field, but she is also a gifted student in the classroom, and is a month away from receiving her degree in health sciences here at ODU. 
 
"I will say that I did anticipate the season ending once the first NBA basketball player tested positive for COVID-19," Davis explained. "I find comfort in the fact that the whole world is going through this together and I understand the NCAA's decision to cancel the spring season and I fully stand by it, especially as someone who sees a future in public health."
 
"Anna has been an amazing leader on and off the field for our team. She is a strong student who is dedicated to our program and university," head lacrosse coach Heather Holt said of her captain. "She is a super impressive young woman who will have an incredible career ahead in public health."  
 
Davis' future looks bright, as the King of Prussia, Pa. native has been accepted into graduate programs from some of the finest schools in the northeast, including Columbia, Pennsylvania, Penn State, Boston College, Rutgers and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York. She has decided to attend Drexel University, who has chosen her to be one of just four students that is selected to be a part of its prestigious Dornsife Public Health Research Fellowship.
 
"Anna is a great student and it has been a pleasure having her in the program," Dr. Jim Bellamy, the program director for the health services and public health programs said about one of his star pupils. "We will miss her but we know she is destined for great things in the future."

 

Davis (center) stands between fellow ODU Lacrosse captains Mary Katherine Maloney (left) and Glory Johnson (right)

The Monarch senior already has a jump on her career path, as she worked for Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a company of Johnson & Johnson last summer in her home state of Pennsylvania, where she served as the Gastro-Immunology Therapeutic Area Intern. Davis also got an early look into the world of pharmaceuticals, as her mother also chose the health profession career path and serves the public as a pharmacist.
 
"I have always loved problem solving, medicine and science. However, I never had my heart set on medical school. I figured the best route for me was to go health sciences because it was broader and included all the different parts that make matter to health and medicine."
 
Davis is a member of Monarch University, which is a leadership academy for a select group of student athletes. She also has worked as a campus ambassador and as a peer-tutor in the student success center and as they science and math tutor counselor for the Upward Bound program here on campus, to go along with her studies and her involvement on the lacrosse team. Being a member of a sports team as well as her involvement in other campus jobs and activities has helped Davis along her journey to reach her ultimate endgame.
 
"My career goal is to be an epidemiologist at the national level. Playing lacrosse has definitely helped me become more accountable in my everyday life. I have learned to have a strong work-life balance which I know is going to be important as I begin my future career. 
 
Lacrosse has also helped me with my time-management skills and of course teamwork. Epidemiology is an interdisciplinary field so it is imperative to be able to work in a team environment."

Epidemiologists are very important in our situation, as they are the physicians and medical experts that deal with the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic still causing havoc around the world, the public looks to the field of medicine for help and guidance, something that Davis is more than willing to be a part of. 
 
"I actually recently registered with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. My mom is on the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), which consists of advanced clinicians so I wanted to be a part of something similar, which I would be qualified for, but I haven't finished any training for that yet. I also recently reached out to Volunteer Hampton Roads for more opportunities."
 
In times like these, we all need individuals to step up and solve problems. At a young age, Davis has shown both in the classroom and on the lacrosse field that her knowledge and leadership qualities are superb, and they will continue to grow after her time with ODU as she embarks on her next journey into the world of public health.