Impact of a Scholarship: Isaiah Davis-Allen

In his final game for the Maryland Men’s Lacrosse team, midfielder Isaiah Davis-Allen completed a career full of honors with the highest accolade of all: a national championship. Finishing a career that started as an unheralded recruit from rural Virginia, Davis-Allen was instrumental in the Terps’ 12th national championship victory.

Four years prior, Davis-Allen was a relative unknown in the lacrosse world.

“I wasn’t someone who was going to score a ton of goals. I was just trying to make the most out of my opportunity,” said Davis-Allen.

One of Davis-Allen’s teammates received a visit from Maryland’s coaches at his high school, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes. While there, Davis-Allen caught a coach’s eye. A scholarship offer came soon after.

“For me, it was really special,” said Davis-Allen. “It honestly put me over the edge in terms of my life and my career.”

Davis-Allen received the scholarship offer from Maryland at one of the most critical times of his life, directly after the death of his mother. Faced with a crossroads, he found a way out through Maryland. 

“My mom was super involved with education,” said Davis-Allen. “She was highly educated herself, and that was something she always pushed. So for me, she always pushed me on the straight and narrow. She had put me in private school for high school, and I think that was a big turning point for me which pushed me into wanting to play in school.”

Shortly after receiving the scholarship offer from Maryland, Davis-Allen took an official visit to campus, where he fell in love.

“I think for me, it was the diversity of it, and it really was the team culture,” said Davis-Allen. “When I went to St. Stephen’s, I didn’t really fit in … after I visited Maryland, I felt more so at home … for me, it was an easy pick.”

The scholarship he received is still paying dividends to this day.

“Financially, it really helped out my family,” said Davis-Allen. “I got a really good education, which for me led to a really good nine-to-five job, which I love.”

These days, Davis-Allen spends his time as a project manager for a general contractor in the DC-Maryland area. His work is his passion, and he credits the vast network of Maryland alumni with helping him achieve his level of success.

“Through work, I definitely see a lot of Terps,” said Davis-Allen. “It definitely helped me as far as having a bigger network when I first started.”

Outside of work, Davis-Allen is involved in many different community service operations. Recently, he’s spent three days a week working with Harlem Lacrosse of Baltimore, teaching high poverty and special education students the basics of lacrosse. In Washington, D.C., he teaches at Winners Lacrosse, a program dedicated to making lacrosse available to boys and girls in the area. He’s also spent time with Saving Our Youth, a program in Baltimore County that helps students work towards success post-high school.

Davis-Allen’s charity work is ingrained in his character, stretching all the way back to his Maryland days. As a senior, Davis-Allen became the second Terp in history to win the NCAA Senior CLASS Award, given to a student that demonstrates success in community, classroom, character, and competition.

“For me, it was more about the team culture and less about the individual stuff that people got,” said Davis-Allen of the award. “It’s always nice to get those individual accolades, but really, part of being a Terp, part of being at Maryland, is it’s always about the whole team.”

As a senior captain, Davis-Allen was a vocal leader on the national championship team. And yet, similarly to the Senior CLASS Award, he wouldn’t take any of the credit for the team’s victory.

“I felt like I took a leadership role, but really more importantly, I felt like it was the entire class,” said Davis-Allen. “We had a great senior group, great balance, a lot of guys who were really invested and played a different role.”

While playing in Major League Lacrosse with the Chesapeake Bayhawks, he earned the league’s 2020 David Huntley Man of the Year, presented each year to the individual who has demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, professionalism, and service to his community. The award was named after the late MLL coach who passed away in 2017.

Davis-Allen credits Maryland with being more than just a school. For him, it was a fresh start.

“Maryland pushed my family into a better life situation both mentally and financially, just talking about my scholarship but also my network, and my dad not having to worry about me after I finished school,” said Davis-Allen.

To the supporters who provided for his scholarship, Davis-Allen has nothing but thanks.

“For me, coming from where I came from, and the situation that was presented to me with my mom passing away, they probably did more than just give a kid a scholarship and a free education,” said Davis-Allen. “I think they really helped a family get through a tough sticking point back there in 2013-14, so I really appreciate that.”