Senior Student-Athlete Selected As ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award Finalist
Ella Swan ’23 has been selected as a national finalist for the ITA Ann Lebedeff Leadership Award among senior tennis athletes from all athletic divisions. Swan credits Allegheny for supporting her development and achievement.
“I have appreciated the close-knit, diverse community of Allegheny that has contributed to an environment allowing me to grow in my self-confidence,” says Swan, a psychology major with minors in Spanish and education studies.
For three years, Swan has co-captained the tennis team and, in the fall, led the women’s tennis team to an unbeaten season, ultimately winning the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship. Additionally, Swan is an executive member of Allegheny’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council and a volunteer for the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.
David Hayden, head coach of men’s and women’s tennis, says, “Ella is the type of leader any coach would love to have in their program. She leads by example, cares for and mentors her teammates, and represents Allegheny College with passion and respect.”
Swans says tennis taught her valuable leadership and time management skills, but coming to Allegheny changed her life.
“Allegheny College is five hundred miles from my home, which has pushed me to grow in independence and allowed me to establish my own identity within the supportive yet challenging college community,” says Swan. “I have had unique opportunities across my major and minors as well as professors supportive of my tennis involvement, which has allowed me to be successful as a student-athlete.”
After graduation, Swan will spend the next year teaching English in Madrid as part of the Council on International Educational Exchange and pursue a master’s in elementary education at Vanderbilt University.