For Leah Israel ’18, women’s lacrosse is more than a sport. It’s a global language of empowerment. “I think sports give women strength beyond the physical. We can learn about ourselves—what we’re good at, how to work toward a common goal, and how to take feedback and failure,” says Israel, a four-year starter and a team captain in 2018.
This passion to empower women and share the positive influence of sports has led to the launch of the Israel Farrington Fund, an endowment created by Israel and her family to support the Denison Women’s Lacrosse program. (Israel’s parents, Cyndi ’84 and Dan ’83, and her great-grandmother Janet Pyle Farrington ’31, also attended the college.) The endowment, the first of its kind for Denison women’s lacrosse, will be used to fund a part-time assistant coaching position and create a more rigorous travel schedule and team-bonding opportunities.