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Ravan Marsell was called up to Indian River Central High School’s girls lacrosse team in seventh grade. Since then, she’s progressed into one of the top players in the state. 

Her head coach, Victoria Fusco, said Marsell is “essential” to the team’s success. En route to winning the 2023 New York Section III Class C championship, Marsell tallied 89 goals, 66 assists, and 162 draw controls. She’s committed to UAlbany as a part of its 2025 recruiting class.

“She creates offense and takes what the defense gives her,” Fusco said. “She has put countless hours into perfecting her craft and is one of the most unselfish players I have ever coached.”

While impressing on the lacrosse field, Marsell’s off-the-field presence looms just as large. She is a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), a student-led organization that informs peers about the dangers of unsafe driving. She’s also interned at the Carthage Area Hospital in Carthage, NY. 

Marsell joined SADD in her junior year after learning of it through school advertisements and saw her older brother and many of her friends participate.

“You get to meet a lot of new people,” Marsell said about joining SADD. “You do a lot of cool activities and get to learn a lot of new things.”

In her time with SADD, Marsell has helped organize multiple fundraisers and events to raise awareness about underage drinking. Marsell also participates in meetings, discussions and debates about ideas to raise awareness and money for SADD. 

These discussions eventually led to the Indian River School District bringing international speaker Nathan Harmon in to talk to students about his tragic experience with drunk driving in his talk, “Your Life Speaks.” Marsell said Harmon’s speech moved herself and many of her classmates. 

SADD emphasizes being safe during prom events for over 40 years. In 1981, a group of students in Wayland, MA, began leading movements against drunk driving after losing local students to drunk driving. SADD organizations nationwide carry out mock accidents to show their classmates the dangers of underage drinking and driving on prom night. 

According to the Partnership to End Addiction, 23% of teens admit that they have already driven under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Lauren Meade, Director of Field Engagement and New York State SADD representative, said mock crashes help shed light on what students can do if they’re ever in this situation. 

She also encourages media and community members to drop “the ‘A’ word” because describing these crashes as an accident “encourages the perception that these incidents are blameless, fate, or happenstance.”

Louis Pratt, National President of the Student Leadership Council for SADD and Community Engagement Specialist, was just a youth like Marsell, who wanted to have his voice heard, and SADD gave him that opportunity.

At Indian River Central High School, mock accidents are performed every other year, and only juniors and seniors can act in them. As a senior, Marsell will act in the mock accident that will take place closer to prom season. 

“Every second counts, it changes lives. I know I have impacted so many people via SADD, and here is my hope: that my work is saving lives,” Pratt said.

Published on November 6, 2023 at 12:15 am

Contact Quinn: qdpostma@syr.edu