Regarding field hockey, Caroline Ramsey ’19 is at the top of her game. She is an enthusiastic U.S. Women’s National Field Hockey Team member and is vying for a spot to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Not bad for a late bloomer. Ramsey only joined Oak Knoll’s varsity field hockey team as a junior. However, with rapidly advancing skills and encouragement from her coaches, she committed to playing field hockey at Cornell University despite having a long-standing passion for lacrosse. 

She was drafted to the national team while still playing at the collegiate level. While attending college, she traveled to the team training camp in Charlotte, NC, to work out with the players. She then moved to Charlotte after graduation to continue her career as a professional athlete.

Approximately three dozen women are currently on the team. Ramsey is among a smaller core group that lives in Charlotte and makes participation on the team their full-time job.

“It was a big transition from college, where hockey is just part of your day,” Ramsey related. “I’ve been loving it.” Unfortunately, she pulled her hamstring during a recent international competition in Chile. “It’s just pulled, not completely torn, which is good,” Ramsey explained. “I was dealing with it before we got to Chile, and then in the first game, I felt it pop.”

Weeks of rehabilitation and team-wide “regeneration weeks” nursed her back to health, and she is now back to a full daily schedule of practice, weights, and global competitions with the team.

Ramsey credits her high school years at Oak Knoll with solidifying her love of sports, inspiring her to pursue a career in STEM, and strengthening the foundation of her Christian faith.

She credits the coaching staff at Oak Knoll for running an incredible program and preparing her for college success and as a pro. “Now that I’m playing full-time, I realize they inspired the drive, focus, and professionalism that comes with playing a sport at the highest level,” she related.

She cites another inspiration as the STEM program at Oak Knoll, which has since expanded to “STREAM” to honor the interwoven collaborations between STEM subjects alongside reading, writing, and religion.

When she entered high school, Ramsey knew her academic passions were in the sciences. She doubled up on science courses while also demonstrating success across the curriculum. 

“The flexibility Oak Knoll gave me to pursue a STEM path was highly beneficial for me when I got to college,” she said. Ramsey majored in biology at Cornell and shoehorned introductory courses to pre-med into her already jam-packed academic and athletic routine.

Now, as a post-grad, she is dedicating her off-field time in Charlotte to studying for the MCAT and will apply for medical school, hoping to attend after the Olympics.

On the spiritual front, Ramsey also credits her religion classes at Oak Knoll with not only acquainting her with the Catholic faith and traditions but strengthening her connection to her own Presbyterianism. She believes that core of spirituality has made her a better athlete.

“As an athlete, we try to be the best versions of ourselves mentally and physically,” she explained. “It can be overwhelming. Falling back on your faith and accepting God’s plan, and that he will help you achieve these great things, and push yourself to continue to improve and compete at this level, and find success. Realizing that there’s a higher power behind you with your best interests in mind is reassuring.”

Though her steadfast goal is to make it to the 2028 Olympic Games, simply continuing to compete after college is reward enough for her hard work.

“I wake up every day, and I’m extremely excited to get on the field, work hard to get better, and then travel and compete in tournaments,” she said. “If I got to a point where I wasn’t doing it because I loved it, then I would reevaluate things for sure. I think God has a good plan for me, and right now I am really enjoying my experience.”