Thomas Parker is a senior sports marketing major. He is an outfielder on the AU baseball team, and his final season is quickly approaching.
Parker enjoys baseball for many reasons, but one of his favorite things about being on the AU team is creating long-lasting relationships with his teammates. From his freshman year to his senior year, he has made friends that will remain friends for life. One of these friends is a fellow senior, Joe Moran, who Parker claims he can take deep.
While many athletes tend to see being a student-athlete as rigorous and tiring, Parker likes to have a different outlook.
“I like to look at it as a blessing,” said Parker. “I truly do not believe I could have made it through college without playing baseball. If I had no escape from reality and school I would have dropped out of school a long time ago. It is hard balancing school and sports, but if you manage your time well, it really is not that hard.”
This season, he is accepting his role as a teacher. He hopes that as he plays in the outfield, he can teach the younger players how things are done in the AU baseball program.
He also enjoys joking with teammates to help others have a good time and calm their nerves before a game.
Parker is thankful for the baseball program, but he is also thankful for the staff in the Falls School of Business.
“Every professor I have ever had genuinely cares about the students and their well-being,” said Parker. “There isn’t a single thing they wouldn’t do to help their students.”
AU has a way of impacting its students, and as Parker prepares for a career in sales, the challenges he has faced and the experiences he has endured will help make him a great team player in the workplace and in life.