Colleen Parrish, Rhodes College, Volleyball

COLLEEN PARRISH OF RHODES COLLEGE, a sophomore from Norman, Okla., has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending February 27, 2011.

Parrish, a defensive specialist on the Lynx women's volleyball team, is Biology Major with a 3.45 GPA. She currently serves as a Resident Advisor in one of the dorms on campus, and is responsible for the safety and well-being of over 40 residents. Parrish plans events for them, interacts with them on a daily basis, and is always available for any conflict management between roommates or any other issues that might arise.

In addition to her RA duties, Parrish volunteers additional hours of time with several organizations. One such place is the Exceptional Foundation, which is a place for young adults out of the school system who have autism or some other intellectual disorder and allows them an outlet to just have fun and feel accepted and loved. 

Parrish also serves as Summer Plus Student working in one of the labs at St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital here in Memphis. The lab is interested in cord blood and the possibilities of its use for bone marrow transplants in children/people with cancer or other immune-deficient diseases. She has also shadowed her PI and interacted with patients and parents.

According to Parrish, "it is extremely rewarding and makes you look at life in a completely different way. We need to learn to appreciate the fact that we get to live and do things - eat whatever we want, play sports, be with friends, even go to school - and not take other people for granted."  

Her love of volleyball extended beyond the courts of Rhodes as Parrish served as a coach with Memphis Juniors Volleyball Association last year.