ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

By Nancy George
ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ News

DALLAS (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ) – When ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ junior Austin Michelsen attended his senior ring ceremony in December, he was quick to credit ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ alumna Eva Parks for that special day.

Austin Michelsen and Eva Parks

“I don’t think I’d be at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ if it weren’t for Eva,” he said.

Their story starts on Oct. 1, 2011: Michelsen and Parks were among a throng of fans celebrating the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ victory after the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ-TCU football game in Fort Worth. As they walked to the parking lot, the community college student and the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ alumna struck up a conversation – by the time Michelsen reached his car, he had Parks’ business card in hand, and her Mustang encouragement in his heart.

Michelsen was looking forward to transferring to a four-year university, but was discouraged following a recent string of tough events, including being robbed at gunpoint outside an Arlington restaurant.

“I told him if he was interested in ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ to call me,” said Parks, a 2003 ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ journalism graduate and investigator/producer for KXAS-TV. “I transferred to ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ when I was a junior. It changed my life.”

Within a week Michelsen called Parks, scheduled an ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ tour, met with ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s director of transfer admissions and services and submitted his application. He was accepted, and on Christmas Eve learned that he was awarded a scholarship. In January 2012 he arrived for class at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ.

“I was very impressed with his follow-up,” says Parks. And Michelsen followed up again in inviting Parks to attend his ring ceremony.

Michelsen plans to graduate in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in sport management from the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

Eva Parks, his fellow Mustang, will be there.

# # #