As a lacrosse player and Public Health Studies major, Ashley Mackin (’25) had a busy four years at Hopkins. In her final season, Ashley led the JHU Women’s lacrosse team to multiple victories and was recognized as one of the best female lacrosse players in the country – one of 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award and named to the USA Lacrosse All-American team. She finished the season ranking 11th in school Division I history in points (181), ninth in goals (134) and 18th in assists. In addition to her hard work and success on the lacrosse field, Ashley completed a major in Public Health Studies, a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management, and a second minor in Marketing and Communications.
We asked Ashley about her experience as a student-athlete at Hopkins:
As a Public Health Studies major, what did you find rewarding, useful, or interesting to learn?
What was most interesting about the public health major was how applicable the information we learned was for our day-to-day life. There were so many subjects such as women’s health or mental health that taught me about myself, and I was able to reflect on my life at Hopkins with these topics in mind. Public health not only taught about the greater population but also about how things look for Hopkins students, which was so useful.
What motivated you to also study Entrepreneurship & Management and Marketing & Communications? Did you like the combination of studying public health alongside these concepts?
Being a such a great academic school, I wanted to learn as much as I could and give myself options for my career post grad. I was able to learn more about the business world and learn how to tie it into public health to ultimately expand my knowledge. These additional courses helped me to balance out my academic load and learn a variety of topics each semester.
How did being a lacrosse player (and captain of the team) shape your college experience at Hopkins?
Truly the most rewarding experience was being a part of this team. As a player and leader, I learned so much about how to handle conflicts and how to work with others in difficult situations, which has prepared me well to take the next steps into a career. Being a lacrosse player also kept me organized and diligent with my school work, as school had to be the top priority at all times.
How did you manage your time, so that you could succeed in both academics and athletics?
There are so many resources here that helped me manage my time better but ultimately, the staff and professors on this campus made my life a lot easier. Everyone was so accepting of the challenges that came with being an athlete and always showed support. I made sure to develop relationships with professors in order for these academic conversations to be well received and be able to find solutions to problems that may arise.
PHS has many student athletes. Do you have any advice for others as they navigate the PHS major and their commitment to their team?
There is so much flexibility in the Public Health Major, so make sure you take advantage of it. There are so many PHS classes to choose from, so pick the ones that will spark your interest most, as it is easier to learn and apply yourself in those courses. Make sure to be honest with your professor when you have a busy schedule, as they are always willing to support your academic and athletic aspirations. How you treat your academics is the same way you treat your athletics – if you are not willing and trying your hardest in one area, it reflects how you treat many facets of your life. Treat school with as much care as you do sports because it is a privilege to be at Hopkins.