Growing up in Falls Church City most of her life, Ally Campbell is known to her community as a star lacrosse player. Currently a high school senior, she is already committed to play lacrosse at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University, a commitment she made when she was just a junior.
Ally began playing lacrosse in second grade because a lot of her friends participated, so her mom signed her up. However, what she first considered to be just a sport, and a way to connect with people, became even more.
“I think it’s really fun because it’s such a fast-paced game, and there’s a lot of athleticism involved, but also there’s a lot of finesse, and there are a lot of plays, so you also have to be really skilled at the same time,” she said.
Although she participated in other sports throughout her academic career, none compares to lacrosse.
“I think there are a lot of great elements, and it kind of combines the best in every sport,” she explained.
Playing lacrosse for most of her life, her love for the sport grew in to her passion to play in college. Her experiences in club lacrosse also simultaneously prepared her for more professional and competitive programs, guiding and setting her up to continue in college.
“I wanted to start playing in college when I was a freshman in high school or in eighth grade,” she said.
Becoming an upperclassman, she became more serious about attempting to get offers from colleges, which is a long and intricate process. The summer prior to junior year, she did tournaments and camps at different schools, playing in front of coaches and touring schools. After her visit to Johns Hopkins, she found that she really liked working with their coaches in particular.
“Their coaching style is so unique and fun. They were like the best coaches I’d ever met, and they were just so smart and engaged with teaching and coaching,” she said.
She later decided to return for a second camp, receiving a call from them in September on the first day coaches reached out to prospective students. Shortly after, she completed a formal campus tour, falling in love with the atmosphere. Although she received other offers, Johns Hopkins had not left her mind and quickly became her top choice. She particularly liked the benefit of being close to home, so her family could more easily attend her games.
Aside from the sports, the school’s academic specialties and size aligned with her career choice and preferences.
“It was smaller. I think it’s 6000 undergrad, which is a really good size for me. And also, it being one of the top academic institutions in the country, that’s something I couldn’t pass up. I’m also really interested in medicine, so it aligns with what I want to do as a career,” she said.
She doesn’t anticipate making professional lacrosse her career as an adult, but she definitely wants it incorporated into her life. She hopes to stay involved by watching games or coaching teams, while continuing medicine and working with various athletes as an orthopedic surgeon.
A main goal for her is to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate years. In five years she sees herself having graduated from college, working and studying for the MCAT, while also coaching lacrosse on the side.
