Allison Davis' collegiate career at Binghamton prepared her well for life after college. In 2014, she arrived on campus from rural New York, not sure what to expect as a Division I runner on a large campus. By the team she graduated in 2018, Davis was an all-conference distance runner and a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society.
 
Following graduation, Davis made another major jump in her life, moving to Baltimore, Maryland as a nurse. This past year, she has been a part of the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. As was the case during her years at Binghamton, however, Davis managed to adjust to her new career and surroundings.
 
Tell us exactly what you have been up to since graduating two years ago.
 
Since graduating in 2018, I have started my career as a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. I am an oncology nurse working on a bone marrow transplant unit, which proved to be an exciting challenge as a new nurse. The past two years have been full of growth and amazing learning opportunities as I navigated life outside of college. Moving to a new city where I only knew a handful of people was something that was out of my comfort zone, but I am glad I took this risk and went for it.  "Charm City" most certainly has my heart.
 
You have had to be a front line worker during COVID-19. What has that experience been like for you?
 
Being in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely challenging and emotionally draining at times. I was critical care trained to help out our sister unit, which is an oncology ICU. I have also been sent to different intensive care units that had patients that were COVID-19 positive to help supplement their staff. You could either choose to wear a N95 mask with a face shield or PAPR hood which remains on you at all times while on the unit. Before entering a patient's room, you gown up and double glove. You become really good at donning and doffing PPE after a while. As nerve-wracking as this experience could have been, I was greeted by nurses that call that unit their home with open arms. There was a sense of comradery while each of us worked together to provide the best care for our patients. As a native New Yorker, I wish I could have done more to help those working in NYC hospitals as their ICUs became overwhelmed, but also knew I was doing valuable work, caring for our vulnerable population of patients. I want to give a shout out to all my Decker School of Nursing classmates for fighting this fight.  There is still so much uncertainty around us, but I can confidently say that my coworkers, family and friends are who keep me sane.
 
How much empathy do you have for your former team at Binghamton on having their seasons canceled in the spring and postponed this fall?
 
I felt heartbroken for all the athletes that had their seasons canceled or postponed, especially the seniors who had an abrupt ending to their track careers. I spent some time talking with Jess Cueva-Scarpelli to see how she and the rest of the team were doing back when this decision was made; I know she was feeling the effects of it all, but wanted to stay strong for her team.  I know how much time and sacrifice it takes to be a student-athlete. You spent hours a day training for the chance to compete, a chance to prove that your hard work is finally paying off. I don't think anyone would have expected that a global pandemic would have brought this world to a standstill.
 
How happy are you for the success the women's distance program at Binghamton has had the past few seasons? Have you been able to follow them closely?
 
I am so excited for our women's distance program and the amazing results they have posted! Throughout these last 2 years, I have followed their races closely, especially since I still had previous teammates that were continuing to compete.  I have a unique perspective of knowing where we were back in 2014 when I was a Freshman. Each year since then we have progressed and grown stronger, which proves that so much greatness is ahead of them. Binghamton's distance program does an amazing job at developing their athletes into strong runners who continue to improve year after year. I am looking forward to seeing where the next couple years takes the team.
 
Without question, the 2018 America East indoor track meet was your best one as a Bearcat. What are your memories of that weekend?
 
The 2018 America East indoor track meet was by far the pinning moment in my running career. During that time leading up to the meet, I remember being swamped by assignments and care plans, barely having any time to myself. I would have to do Tuesday speed workouts on my own due to my clinical schedule, something that was challenging for me given my weaknesses. Looking back now, there was absolutely no reason why I should have been thriving on the track given my stressful schedule, but somehow that was the push I needed to succeed. The 5k was probably the most memorable race of my career. I recall holding on for dear life to the two Albany runners, knowing they could pull me to a potential sub 17 time. Once they started to pull ahead, I could feel myself starting to struggle as the lactic acid took over my legs. In my head, I asked myself how bad I wanted this; I had put in way too much work to be happy with another 17:05 that I had run 2 weeks prior. I remember my teammates cheering for me on the track, pushing me to keep going. Seeing the "1 lap to go" sign was the final spark I needed to ignite the fire within. I gave it everything I had, not really knowing if the last 200 meters would be a 35 second lap or a 45 second lap. As I approached the final stretch, I knew I was going to dip under 17 minutes and take that final all-conference spot. I remember turning my head and seeing my family standing right there and feeling overwhelmed with all the emotions flooding my system. Those pictures of me crossing the finish line are probably my favorite ones from my time at Binghamton. Are they the prettiest running pictures I have? Absolutely not. These pictures do, however, show my grit and determination. They show that as soon as I cross the finish line, there would be nothing left in the tank. The next day I came back to double in the 3k, something I thought I would never be competitive enough to do.  Breaking a second school record in the same weekend and scoring more points for my team was a dream come true. Sharing these moments with my teammates and family is something I will always cherish. I would not have been able to achieve any of that without them.
 
Who are some of the teammates you have kept in touch with the most?
 
I am lucky to have found long lasting friendships from my time at Binghamton. Alana MacDonald lives about 3 blocks from me in Baltimore and has been my running partner over the last couple years. We were able to go 1, 3 in the Baltimore Running Festival 5K last year, proving that these alumni still have a little left in the tank. She helped me adjust to living in a new city and has been an amazing friend during the times I have struggled here. During quarantine, a group of us would try to have weekly zoom meetings to catch up since our locations are spread across the map. Alana, Jess Thatcher, Michelle Crook, Erika Yamazaki, Eileen O'Hara, Savoy Curry, and I would all meet up virtually, hoping for a day when we can all do this in person. I am still very close to Jess Cueva-Scarpelli and Julianna Klein as well. I am sad I did not have more time on the team with Jess, but it has been amazing to see her grow throughout her last couple years. She is such a hard worker and I know she is going to do amazing things as a Physician Assistant. Julianna Klein and I clicked automatically my freshman year in the good ole Mohawk dorms. I knew she would be a longtime friend of mine as soon as I realized how similar our personalities were and how loyal a friend she is. I was able to visit her last year and hope to do the same in the near future once things are a little calmer. I was supposed to visit Michelle Crook in California this past May, but this sadly has been postponed. She is another person that was there for me through some of the hard times I experienced last year, despite being almost 2,500 miles away. We were roommates all 4 years at Binghamton and have experienced all the highs and lows together, including trudging through an unexpected 3 feet of snow with a -25 degree wind chill to see if my car would magically start.
 
What impact did Annette Acuff have on your running career?
 
Coach Acuff transformed me into a competitive, successful distance runner at our conference level. She saw potential in me when I came for my official visit despite not having the fastest times in high school, which I am forever thankful for. She knew I loved running higher mileage and benefited from that as well, which allowed me to become stronger and faster in almost every distance I raced. She develops individualized plans for all of her athletes, identifying that each one of us may require something different in order to achieve our full potential. I believed in her as a coach and she believed in me as an athlete. Acuff always knew what. I was capable of, even when I was doubtful. I am forever thankful for the coaching and guidance she gave me that lead me to achieve what I was able to achieve in my 4 years at Binghamton.
 
 Do you still run much? If so, give any details.
 
I am definitely still running now! My work schedule has made it hard to do the mileage I was doing in college, but I have learned to adjust and listen to my body a little better given the physical demands of my job. I am lucky to live in an area where the water is only a couple blocks down the street and water views run for miles throughout the city. After Alana and I had run those times in the Baltimore 5K with minimal training, we were determined to train for some races in 2020. I had signed up for 4 big races this year, a 5k, 10k, 12 miler, and half marathon. I was in fantastic racing shape right when the COVID-19 pandemic started, so I had to adjust my plans for the time being .  All of my races have been either postponed or deferred until next year. I am running for me now, doing what feels good and shaking out any stress that is in my body. Running is more than a competitive sport to me. It is a stress reliever, a confidence builder, and a constant in my life to make me feel grounded.
 
Living in Baltimore, what kind of an adjustment has that been from living in Westtown (where you are from) and Binghamton?

When I first moved to Baltimore, it definitely took me a while to adjust to the city life. Westtown is a rural town that has no short supply of cows or freshly mowed farmland. Growing up, my biggest threat was the bears that would circle the neighborhood for garbage or the bats that would occasionally sneak into our house. When I lived in Binghamton, especially in the off campus housing, it was the first time I had experienced public transportation or having to park my car on the street. Living walking distance to friends was something that I had never experienced. It was the perfect stepping stone I took before moving to Baltimore. When I first moved here, I was always on hypervigilance mode, still adjusting to this unknown city. The specific neighborhood I lived in had a very minimal supply of parking after 6:00PM, something I had not experienced before. As time went on, however, I started to feel the charm that Baltimore City radiates. I frequent Patterson Park on runs and walks I take, which boasts playing fields, a pool, tennis courts, a dog park, and a duck pond. Rows of restaurants line the water making it easy to never get bored of the same food or the gorgeous view. As I started to meet more people in the city, I would frequently see them on walks or trips to the store, solidifying Baltimore's nickname of "Smaltimore." It took about a year to adjust to living here, which included an attempted move back home to NY within this time frame.  I am so happy I took a chance and moved to Baltimore for this job. I have an amazing friend group and a job I love. There is nothing more I could really ask for right now.
 
Looking back two years, what does your experience as a student-athlete at Binghamton mean to you?

My experience I had as a student athlete at Binghamton was never always easy, but always worth it.  I was a very timid person coming in my freshman year, lacking the confidence I needed to succeed. Having teammates that turned into friends was a game changer. I met my crew on day one; they were the people that guided me, challenged me, and reminded me to always take in every moment because 4 years flies by before you know it. Those hard workouts we did together brought us even closer, reminding me that great things are done when everyone around you strives for the same goal. The amount of growth I was able to experience over the 4 years I had was something I could never have anticipated. I developed into a strong, confident athlete, breaking the mold of what a successful distance runner typically looks like.  I was able to hit times in workouts and races that never seemed achievable. After graduating, I was finally able to see that doubting myself and having a "I can't" attitude was only hurting me. I am 2 years out from my graduation now and still reminisce about fond memories I have from my time at Binghamton.