CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Patriot League announced the hiring of Laura Parks as Administrative Intern for the 2018-2019 academic year. Parks joins the League office after graduating from Lehigh University in May. She spent four-years in Bethlehem as a coxswain for the Mountain Hawks women’s rowing team.
In her role with the League office, Parks will serve as the primary contact for women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, women’s rowing, and softball. She will also assist the League’s championship and compliance staff with events and special projects.
“The leadership qualities that Laura learned and displayed during her exceptional career as a student-athlete at Lehigh make her a great addition to the League office,” Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel said. “We look forward to working with her and know she will bring great insight to our continual focus on enhancing and celebrating the Patriot League student-athlete experience.”
At Lehigh, Parks walked on to the women’s rowing team as a freshman and emerged as a team leader after transitioning from rower to coxswain. A team captain during her senior season, she coxed the women’s first varsity eight for the entirety of her junior and senior seasons and was named Lehigh University Coxswain of the Year for 2017 and 2018. As a senior, Parks helped the Mountain Hawks to a program-best finish at the Patriot League Rowing Championships, as they earned a school-record 33 points and tied for fourth-place with Georgetown.
On campus, Parks served as a Student-Athlete Mentor and Leadership Legacy as part of the Lehigh Athletics Leadership Academy. As a student-athlete mentor she worked closely with first-year student-athletes to help them adjust to college life and troubleshoot any challenges in the classroom or athletic competition. As a Leadership Legacy, Parks worked with team captains and coaches to navigate leadership challenges and build foundations for future success within each legacy’s respective program.
A Bethlehem, Pa. native, Parks graduated from Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing with a minor in entrepreneurship in May 2018. The 2018 Patriot League Women’s Rowing Academic Honor Roll selection is a 2014 Liberty High School graduate.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.