Driven by Hard Work and Dedication
5/6/2020 7:04:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse, Student Athlete, Features, Flight 45, Intellectual Development
By: Madison Schmitt '20
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Despite seven weeks of online classes and an unprecedented cancellation of the 2020 spring athletic seasons, Alexandra Ladda has left her mark on both Lehigh and the women's lacrosse program.
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Over the course of her collegiate career, Ladda remained committed to doing just about anything that needed to be done to extend Lehigh's season to another Patriot League tournament game.
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She marked the opposing team's top offensive threats and served as a key defensive weapon for the Mountain Hawks, garnering status as an All-League Player as a junior.
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But Ladda's skill set extends far beyond the boundaries of the Ulrich Sports Complex. Pursuing a marketing degree, Ladda excelled in her classes and garnered several Patriot League and team accolades for her academic achievements.
Â
She spent the time she had at Lehigh embodying the essence of a true scholar-athlete.
Â
Her prowess on the field and in the classroom, however, is not a matter of flashy defensive skills or a perfect IQ. Rather, Ladda's remarkable accomplishments are a reflection of one certain attribute: dedication.
Â
"I would say I try to be as hard of a worker as I can and also show my dedication through everything I do," Ladda said. "So, whether that's working hard every day at practice and making sure I'm prioritizing lacrosse when it needs to be, or, if that's in the classroom with working hard and going to office hours and stuff like that… I just try to bridge everything I do with hard work and dedication."
Â
On the field, the Pennsylvania native dedicates herself to more than collecting groundballs and forcing turnovers. Ladda's complete devotion to the overall betterment of her team is the type of quality coaches look for in a player and teammates strive to emulate.
Â
"As a teammate, she's dedicated herself to modeling best behaviors and authentic relationships," head coach Jill Redfern said. "I think Alex exemplifying that has transcended our team and made a meaningful impact."
Â
For Ladda, excelling in any capacity means taking advantage of the resources and personnel that are there to support you. She isn't afraid to ask for help when she needs it, or to take any measures that will lead to greater success.Â
Â
"One of the greatest gains our team made this year was improved relationships with teammates and coaches. Our senior class was a driving force," Redfern said. "So, if there were times they needed a workout changed or more time off or something different because of what was going on academically, or if they were just fatigued from lacrosse, our relationship with them was mutually respectful and it benefited everyone."
Â
Ladda said the team's close-knit dynamic was a major contributor in developing her aptitude for reaching out and capitalizing on resources. Every player wanted each of their teammates to experience the same success they did on the field as they did in the classroom.
Â
"The coaches emphasized that they wanted everyone to excel in their academics too and that is an important factor of the whole Lehigh experience," Ladda said. "We have people who may be pursuing one major, and they reach out to the team and say, 'If you guys need help with specific classes, I can help you, I have notes, I can help you study.' The community that's been built within our team helps people not be scared to reach out for help academically."
Â
Before coming to Lehigh, academics were always an integral part of Ladda's life. She knew she wanted her collegiate experience to be two-pronged, an opportunity to pursue her passion for lacrosse while earning a degree from a prestigious institution.
Â
Ladda dove headfirst into her mission the moment she stepped on campus. She was immediately determined to strike a balance between competing in the sport she loves and excelling in the classroom.
Â
"When I came into college, academics were something I still really cared a lot about even though I was going more so for lacrosse," Ladda said. "I knew from the beginning that I wanted to quickly learn how to balance the two and really just use my resources that Lehigh provides and my coaches provide to be able to excel both academically and also athletically."
Â
At the culmination of her junior year, Ladda received affirmation that her hard work in the classroom was paying off. Besides being named the team's Scholar Athlete of the Year at the annual end-of-year banquet and Academic All-Patriot League in 2019, Ladda earned a position in the internship program at Ogilvy, a New York City-based British advertising, marketing and public relations agency.
Â
The company had been on Ladda's radar for some time because of its acclaimed reputation in the advertising industry. She knew it was a competitive process with no certainties, but never faltered in her dedication to striving for the best.
Â
"I had been really interested in Ogilvy just because I knew such a great firm would give me great experience," Ladda said. "I ended up applying there and got lucky enough that I got an interview and ended up getting their intern position. It was just a great experience to be able to see what an advertising agency looks like at that size. And they had a really great intern program overall; there were about 30 of us in total, so I was definitely able to learn a lot from the other interns too and also from my bosses."
Â
Ladda's dedication is all-encompassing. Her approach in tackling any endeavor is simply giving it her all and getting it done.
Â
"She's a hard worker and she's responsible for the work, whatever area it is – whether it's an assignment on game day or fulfilling academic responsibilities," Redfern said.
Â
A fearless mindset on the defensive end matched with a resume laced in academic and professional achievements might suggest life as a student athlete was easy for Ladda. The reality is, epitomizing a true scholar-athlete is a full-time job that requires extensive time management and energy.
Â
"The most difficult part about being a student-athlete is finding the right balance between your athletic, academic and social life," Ladda said. "It can be challenging to find the balance that allows you to succeed in both athletics and academics. However, once you are able to figure out what works best for you, you can truly excel in all areas."
Â
Though Ladda's plans following graduation — like many graduating seniors' — are paused given the unforeseen circumstances the world is currently experiencing, Ladda will certainly continue to live by the same values of hard work and dedication.
Her do-anything attitude generated a culture of open dialogue, honesty and hard work that will continue to transcend the team even after she graduates. And while her final season, including five of her classmates, was cut short, her future looks bright.
Â
"Her communication skills and her willingness to take risks and be brave sets her apart," Redfern said. "I appreciate her honesty and her direct communication, and I'm confident that's going to translate to whatever professional opportunity she finds herself in."
Â
Driven by hard work and dedication, nothing can stop Alex Ladda from chasing success.
Â
Despite seven weeks of online classes and an unprecedented cancellation of the 2020 spring athletic seasons, Alexandra Ladda has left her mark on both Lehigh and the women's lacrosse program.
Â
Over the course of her collegiate career, Ladda remained committed to doing just about anything that needed to be done to extend Lehigh's season to another Patriot League tournament game.
Â
She marked the opposing team's top offensive threats and served as a key defensive weapon for the Mountain Hawks, garnering status as an All-League Player as a junior.
Â
But Ladda's skill set extends far beyond the boundaries of the Ulrich Sports Complex. Pursuing a marketing degree, Ladda excelled in her classes and garnered several Patriot League and team accolades for her academic achievements.
Â
She spent the time she had at Lehigh embodying the essence of a true scholar-athlete.
Â
Her prowess on the field and in the classroom, however, is not a matter of flashy defensive skills or a perfect IQ. Rather, Ladda's remarkable accomplishments are a reflection of one certain attribute: dedication.
Â
"I would say I try to be as hard of a worker as I can and also show my dedication through everything I do," Ladda said. "So, whether that's working hard every day at practice and making sure I'm prioritizing lacrosse when it needs to be, or, if that's in the classroom with working hard and going to office hours and stuff like that… I just try to bridge everything I do with hard work and dedication."
Â
On the field, the Pennsylvania native dedicates herself to more than collecting groundballs and forcing turnovers. Ladda's complete devotion to the overall betterment of her team is the type of quality coaches look for in a player and teammates strive to emulate.
 "As a teammate, she's dedicated herself to modeling best behaviors and authentic relationships," head coach Jill Redfern said. "I think Alex exemplifying that has transcended our team and made a meaningful impact."
Â
For Ladda, excelling in any capacity means taking advantage of the resources and personnel that are there to support you. She isn't afraid to ask for help when she needs it, or to take any measures that will lead to greater success.Â
Â
"One of the greatest gains our team made this year was improved relationships with teammates and coaches. Our senior class was a driving force," Redfern said. "So, if there were times they needed a workout changed or more time off or something different because of what was going on academically, or if they were just fatigued from lacrosse, our relationship with them was mutually respectful and it benefited everyone."
Â
Ladda said the team's close-knit dynamic was a major contributor in developing her aptitude for reaching out and capitalizing on resources. Every player wanted each of their teammates to experience the same success they did on the field as they did in the classroom.
Â
"The coaches emphasized that they wanted everyone to excel in their academics too and that is an important factor of the whole Lehigh experience," Ladda said. "We have people who may be pursuing one major, and they reach out to the team and say, 'If you guys need help with specific classes, I can help you, I have notes, I can help you study.' The community that's been built within our team helps people not be scared to reach out for help academically."
Â
Before coming to Lehigh, academics were always an integral part of Ladda's life. She knew she wanted her collegiate experience to be two-pronged, an opportunity to pursue her passion for lacrosse while earning a degree from a prestigious institution.
Â
Ladda dove headfirst into her mission the moment she stepped on campus. She was immediately determined to strike a balance between competing in the sport she loves and excelling in the classroom.
Â
"When I came into college, academics were something I still really cared a lot about even though I was going more so for lacrosse," Ladda said. "I knew from the beginning that I wanted to quickly learn how to balance the two and really just use my resources that Lehigh provides and my coaches provide to be able to excel both academically and also athletically."
Â
At the culmination of her junior year, Ladda received affirmation that her hard work in the classroom was paying off. Besides being named the team's Scholar Athlete of the Year at the annual end-of-year banquet and Academic All-Patriot League in 2019, Ladda earned a position in the internship program at Ogilvy, a New York City-based British advertising, marketing and public relations agency.
Â
The company had been on Ladda's radar for some time because of its acclaimed reputation in the advertising industry. She knew it was a competitive process with no certainties, but never faltered in her dedication to striving for the best.
Â
"I had been really interested in Ogilvy just because I knew such a great firm would give me great experience," Ladda said. "I ended up applying there and got lucky enough that I got an interview and ended up getting their intern position. It was just a great experience to be able to see what an advertising agency looks like at that size. And they had a really great intern program overall; there were about 30 of us in total, so I was definitely able to learn a lot from the other interns too and also from my bosses."
 Ladda's dedication is all-encompassing. Her approach in tackling any endeavor is simply giving it her all and getting it done.
Â
"She's a hard worker and she's responsible for the work, whatever area it is – whether it's an assignment on game day or fulfilling academic responsibilities," Redfern said.
Â
A fearless mindset on the defensive end matched with a resume laced in academic and professional achievements might suggest life as a student athlete was easy for Ladda. The reality is, epitomizing a true scholar-athlete is a full-time job that requires extensive time management and energy.
Â
"The most difficult part about being a student-athlete is finding the right balance between your athletic, academic and social life," Ladda said. "It can be challenging to find the balance that allows you to succeed in both athletics and academics. However, once you are able to figure out what works best for you, you can truly excel in all areas."
Â
Though Ladda's plans following graduation — like many graduating seniors' — are paused given the unforeseen circumstances the world is currently experiencing, Ladda will certainly continue to live by the same values of hard work and dedication.
Her do-anything attitude generated a culture of open dialogue, honesty and hard work that will continue to transcend the team even after she graduates. And while her final season, including five of her classmates, was cut short, her future looks bright.
Â
"Her communication skills and her willingness to take risks and be brave sets her apart," Redfern said. "I appreciate her honesty and her direct communication, and I'm confident that's going to translate to whatever professional opportunity she finds herself in."
Â
Driven by hard work and dedication, nothing can stop Alex Ladda from chasing success.
Players Mentioned
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