HPU student's legacy carries past her young death
Mar. 21—HIGH POINT — After enrolling at High Point University 10 years ago, Allie Rose Zambito wanted to make a difference in the lives of children in the city she had adopted during her college years.
Zambito, who lived in Bayville, New Jersey, connected with the mentoring group D-Up.
She organized wellness 5K events to raise donations for the nonprofit and encouraged other HPU students to mentor children in D-Up.
Her legacy in High Point endures four years after Zambito died at the age of 23 in a car wreck near Wilmington, Delaware.
This past Saturday at Proehlific Park in Greensboro, D-Up organized an outing to commemorate the life of Zambito and the sport she cherished, field hockey. D-Up hosted what organizers called Allie's Field Hockey Corner Clinic to introduce local children to the sport and encourage them to stay physically active, said Natalie Lucas, executive director assistant with D-Up.
"She impacted all she met in her short time and left a lasting legacy behind that will be carried on in her memory," Lucas said.
Reflecting her spirit, the clinic on Saturday featured equipment donated by Zambito's family and featured a coach and players from HPU's field hockey club who taught D-Up children the basics of the game, Lucas said.
Zambito, who earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science at HPU in 2017, played on the field hockey club. Her coach, Tara Shollenberger, said Zambito's devotion to the children in D-Up reflected her personality and caring.
"Allie was a light and joy to be around," said Shollenberger, an assistant professor of leadership studies at HPU. "Allie made an immediate positive impact on the people and community around her."
Zambito made a lasting impression on HPU and the greater High Point community, said Kimberly Reich, an associate professor in the Department of Exercise Science.
"Her infectious optimism and living example of perseverance created a legacy of service programming for D-Up that HPU students carry on to this day," Reich said. "Today, our relationship with this amazing organization flourishes in large part because of the seeds Allie planted."
Zambito was studying for a doctorate degree in physical therapy at the University of Delaware when she died along a roadway on June 21, 2019. Zambito received her doctorate degree from the University of Delaware posthumously.
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
