April 9, 2010
by Steve Helm '11
Witnessing her skills on the lacrosse field and hearing of the accolades that she’s received, it would never come across anyone's mind that a lacrosse senior’s favorite food is pineapples, she enjoys listening to Lil Wayne, watches One Tree Hill, takes vacations to Hawaii and Australia, and that her dog, "Bailey", is her most prized possession. Earning the reputation of a leader and a role model for her diligence, modesty, and plans to help others succeed in the future, it's no question that Jillian Davis is a treasure to La Salle, thus it was no surprise when she earned La Salle’s Academic Achievement Award.
With the 2010 season being the most successful in program history during her senior season, Davis has not limited her hard work and success to the lacrosse field.
Every morning at 6 a.m., Davis wakes up to begin a jam packed day. Her day gets underway when she arrives to teach at Widener Memorial School in Philadelphia, a school for the physical handicapped, from 8 a.m. until about 3:30 in the afternoon. Without catching a break in between, Davis stays on the move by going directly to lacrosse practice, which goes until about 7 p.m. Once practice is over, Davis finally gets an opportunity to catch her breath-but only for an hour, because she has still has schoolwork to complete. This cycle continues for Davis on a daily basis, but it doesn't seem to have taken a toll on her, as she is the team's leading scorer with 32 goals and 40 assists while holding a 4.0 GPA.
Davis developed a love for lacrosse when she was in the fourth grade. Before getting involved with an organized team, Davis and her sister Kristen (played at La Salle from 2003-2006) would spend hours upon hours playing the sport in their backyard in Folsom, Pa. Once she reached middle school, Davis began playing for Ridley. Enjoying the experience, she went on to play for tournament teams. While also swimming, playing soccer and basketball, Davis continued to play lacrosse on a year-round basis. It wasn't until midway through high school that she decided that lacrosse would be the sport that she would focus on.
"I have so much passion for this sport," Davis said.
When it came time to make a college decision, Davis always heard good things about La Salle from her sister. Visiting La Salle, Davis felt even more confident about making a decision when she experienced how close the girls on the team were.
"I wanted to be part of a unit where the girls got along with each other," Davis said. "They all seemed hard-working and set the goal to go as far as possible."
Arriving at La Salle, Davis immediately realized she made the right decision.
"Once I got here and became part of the team, I felt better immediately and felt part of the unit ever since I stepped out there," Davis said. "Each year has gotten better."
As a senior, Davis is serving as team captain. Off the field, she is responsible for creating the equipment schedule, sending out reminder emails and text messages. On the field, Davis is looked upon for her leadership whether it is for her words or actions.
"If we're having an off day, whether it's our focus or skill-wise, it's my job to pick my teammates up," Davis said. "I feel respected by my teammates. The fact that we all get along makes my job as captain much easier."
For the first time in Davis's four years, all four class levels are present on the team. With a freshman class in place that has proven to be so productive early on, that can only help make Davis's captain responsibilities a little easier.
Davis feels the large freshman class has meshed well with the rest of the team.
"They are so talented, dedicated, passionate and they're vocal," Davis said. "They have been a tremendous part of our success."
When reflecting on her own success, such as being named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, Academic All-Conference and A-10 Player of the Week multiple times, it is humbling to Davis, but those awards aren't the most meaningful.
"What's most meaningful is what we have done this year," Davis said. "So the most meaningful thing that could happen would be to make the playoffs. My ultimate goal every year has been to make the playoffs and show that we are a good team."
Helping her get through the pressures of school and athletics, Davis knows she can rely on her family for assurance.
"I probably couldn't do academics or lacrosse as well without my family, because they hold me together during the really tough times," Davis said. "In terms of lacrosse, I always look up to my older sister. I wish that I would've had the opportunity to play with her here."
Besides her family, Davis finds other ways to get through some of the stress she faces. "I love dancing, singing, and acting silly," Davis said. “My teammates get to see this at practice sometimes and it's probably something many people at La Salle don't know about me. It's a good escape from the pressure of balancing academics and athletics."
At La Salle, Davis is majoring in Elementary and Special Education, while minoring in American Studies. With graduation lurking in the next month, Davis is focused on finding a teaching job as well as a coaching job for lacrosse.
"I'm looking more in the suburbs," Davis said. "I'm definitely going to apply at Ridley, because I have a lot of pride in my hometown, but I'm going to look at several places. I just want to find a good job in a good neighborhood, that's close to home and will give me an opportunity to coach, because I can't step away from lacrosse."
Before graduating, Davis still has some games remaining as an Explorer to accomplish a few more things. One milestone still in her sights is 100 career goals.
"It would be a good honor, but I don't go into any game trying specifically to score goals," Davis said. "I just let things happen in the game and if I happen to be the one to put the ball in the back of the net, then that happens, but it's all about how our team gels together and that we pull out the win."
For those that are unfamiliar with being a student-athlete, the one thing many may not realize is how difficult it is to balance both athletics and academics. Overall, student-athletes find a way to pursue through the demands of both obligations, but only so few can perfect it. This season, that is exactly what Davis has done. Currently, she is ranked first on her team in scoring while holding a 4.0 cumulative GPA. These two accomplishments have not been easy to come by and have required a lot of dedication.
"I've kind of gotten a hand on time management, but I need to make sure I get enough sleep," Davis said. "That's probably the hardest thing, because there are days where I'm struggling to be able to make it from to teaching and then have to go to practice, and then be able to do well in both. I hold athletics and academics very high and I hold high standards for myself."
Once the lacrosse season concludes and graduation weekend passes, Davis will undeniably miss her team and friends off the field as well.
"We are so tight-knit," Davis said. "Now that we're experiencing some success, we're celebrating together; everyone has each other's back through everything."
Reflecting on her most memorable moments, the one that is most distinct for Davis actually occurred this year. For the entire duration of her La Salle career, wanting to beat St. Joe's had always been on her mind. Finally defeating the Hawks this season, Davis is satisfied, but feels the most memorable game of her career was when the Explorers defeated Duquesne earlier this year.
"We were down by four goals several times, and it just showed how we can work together and pull ourselves out of a hole against a good team and come up with a victory," Davis said. "I think that game really proved to us that we are a great team and we can do some big things this year."
Having aspirtations of becoming an educator in the not too distant future, Davis has already taught so many through her actions and success. Being able to approach all the endeavors in life with her style of determination has only proven to bode well, thus making her an individual many can look up to.
