Melina Krawchick Living Balanced Life at Johns Hopkins

If you’re looking for some of the smartest and most athletic athletes in Division III, Johns Hopkins is on a short list of places to start looking at. With an acceptance rate of just eight percent and powerhouse athletic programs that regularly are in contention for national titles, the Blue Jays athletic department is one of many things this institution can be proud of.

(Photos courtesy of John’s Hopkins Athletics)

With an alumni base that includes a former U.S. president, famous novelists, award winning performers, and groundbreaking scientists, it’s easy to jump at the opportunity to go to school here if you have the opportunity. For Coraopolis native and Moon Area High School alumni Melina Krawchick, going to Johns Hopkins was an easy decision and one she made regardless of her future in athletics.

“Johns Hopkins was the only visit I took,” explained Krawchick. “I went to a skills camp there and spoke with the coaches. I eventually went back for another camp and was offered the chance to play not long after that. I think I sometimes take it for granted a little bit. The atmosphere is unique because everyone wants each other to succeed. People love to help one another out, especially in my major that only has eight people total in my class.”

Playing high-level volleyball was nothing new for the all-section performer and former Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball standout. Beginning her club days in middle school, continuing her career in college was something she hoped to do for many years. However, school always came first, and this was no exception when it came to picking a college.

Krawchick did not have to let her ambitions of being a future engineer or a college athlete go as she’s balanced being an environmental engineering major, energy minor, and a defensive specialist for nationally ranked Johns Hopkins volleyball. On the surface, taking engineering classes from a leader in STEM on top of playing a college sport would be enough to keep anyone busy. However, saying Krawchick is busy may be stating it mildly.

On top of her regular commitments to school and her team, she is involved as a sustainability leadership council member, as a GreenHacks marketing committee member, a HOPthon recruitment chair, a sister of Alpha Phi sorority, and as an intern at AECOM. In her remaining free time, she’s also a dedicated power lifter and fashion guru and is excited about her future in this sport and industry upon the conclusion of her college volleyball career. In fashion and powerlifting, she’s even had the opportunity to endorse various brands including Link, College Fashionista, and Bucked Up.

For now, continuing the incredible run that Johns Hopkins has been on is something that is on her mind. With a canceled freshman season and playing for a team that went 31-1 in 2021, the 2022 was shaping up to allow her to have an expanded role on the court. However, injuries hindered her opportunities, including a concussion that forced her to miss the majority of the season and even impacted her studies throughout this semester.

Through a disappointing semester all around, she inched closer to earning her degree, was a part of another Centennial Conference title, was a part of a team that got back to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, and she even accepted an internship in Houston for the 2023 summer with British Petroleum.

Even if things did not go picturesque, her fifth semester as a Blue Jay was still incredibly successful and something to be quite proud of. Despite much of this past season being spent on the sideline, she grew an even bigger appreciation about why she loves the Johns Hopkins volleyball program so much and the direction the program is continuing to move in.

“We have such a special culture here,” she noted. “This was a great season, but we should be even better next year. We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores playing and we made it to the Elite Eight. We only lost one senior. I know we will come back and be even better next year.” In her long-term future, she hopes to work for a leader in the energy industry and assist companies in finding ways to use their resources more effectively and efficiently. While this will unquestionably be a challenging career, it could be one that leads to breakthroughs in the energy space that could be crucial for our planet’s future. Additionally, she plans to stay at Johns Hopkins to study for a masters degree in environmental engineering and has her eyes set on completing both degrees in just four and a half years. These last three years have been an impressive run, but they would not have been possible without her hard work and a support system that starts at home from parents Juli and Greg. In addition to her parents, her boyfriend, Richie Doyle continues to fuel her passion for powerlifting and is supportive from afar in each of her many endeavors. At school, her Head Coach, Matt Troy, has been very supportive of her not just as a player, but as a leader in the Johns Hopkins community. Additionally, her teammates from club, college, and high school volleyball have all been such an important part of her continued growth and passion for this sport. Specifically at Johns Hopkins, her past teammates Sarah Khan and Simone Bliss have been crucial in her growth as a student-athlete and young professional in the last three years. Whenever she’s in need of something career or volleyball related, these two have continued to step up and support her through this formative time in her life. If Melina Krawchick is able to play four years of college volleyball, complete two degrees, be an involved student-athlete, and meet lifelong friends along the way, this is a very impressive run. If she can handle all this, imagine what she will do once she enters the next chapter post college. She may just be heavily involved in helping our world become more resourceful in using our natural resources. For now, let’s get her back on the court and support her as she tries to help the Blue Jays win another national title.