Far from home: UNF student from England excels at tennis and academics

When Annabelle Davis was 11 years old, growing up in England, she got a taste of living away from her family when she received a multi-sport athletic scholarship to attend a leading boarding school in the United Kingdom.

Little did she know that experience helped prepare her when she'd move to a different continent in 2020 to attend the University of North Florida on a Dorothy Dorion Endowed Scholarship to play on the UNF Women's tennis team.

"I look back and think, wow, I was really young to live away from my family," said Davis, now 22. "Now, I think it was a precursor to my college days."

While there are cultural differences, and no rolling hills like those back home, she likes everything that Jacksonville has to offer and hopes to stay in the United States after she graduates in May.

"The fact that I was awarded an athletic scholarship and could also study for a career has been life-changing," Davis said. "The first time I toured the UNF campus, I knew right away this is where I wanted to be."

The tennis standout is earning a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary health science, with minors in psychology, leadership and sports management.

She hopes to utilize her degrees to help student athletes like her perfect their sport and their studies.

As a first-generation college student and soon-to-be-graduate, Davis said she feels lucky to have found her place at UNF and even more grateful to have found the perfect major - thanks to her advisors, the Student Academic Success Services, and the attentive guidance she received from her professors and mentors like Dr. Julie Merten, now Associate Dean of MedNexus. In addition to her UNF studies, Davis also achieved certification as a National Board Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), to broaden her interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.

"Annabelle is a born leader who would succeed in whatever major she chose," said Merten. "As a student athlete, she was looking for a program that would be flexible with her schedule and complement her strengths and interests in the health sciences."

Merten referred Davis to Dr. Matthew Ohlson, associate professor of educational leadership and director of the Taylor Leadership Institute,whom Davis credits for mentoring her through a successful internship with the Florida Institute of Education (FIE) at UNF, where she mentored young kids and helped develop their reading and literacy skills.

"It was an insightful experience to see how important early intervention is with young children, plus, it was a wonderful way to tie in health, psychology and leadership," Davis said.

Ohlson said Davis is one of the Taylor Leadership Institute's stars.

"The Taylor Leadership Institute at UNF helps students discover their own greatness, and Annabelle is one of our absolute stars," Ohlson said. "It has been amazing to see her shine as a leader on the tennis court, in the classroom and within the community."

Davis, who was a featured speaker at the TLI Annual Awards show, volunteered with CAMP Osprey at the Ronald McDonald house and served as a Dream Promoter with FIE, helping to develop the next generation of leaders.

"She has served as an exemplar for our Osprey community," Ohlson said.

As one of the senior players on the UNF tennis team, Davis understands the example she sets for the younger players. "I like to lead through my actions and training rather than giving out directions," said Davis, who has one more year of playing eligibility left, and was recently accepted into Clemson University's graduate school program to study Applied Health Psychology this fall.

"My educational journey at UNF has been such an incredible experience" Davis said. "I have loved every minute of my four years here, so much so, that I would do all four years over again."