By Taylor Gull
Special to GoHolyCross.com

Emily Parker, a senior captain on the women's basketball team from Johnston, Iowa, has found the perfect way to transition her love of basketball and athletics into the professional world.

After graduating from Holy Cross, Parker hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. After experiencing her fair share of injuries, Parker is interested in helping athletes overcome many of the obstacles she has experienced herself. "That's why, even though I know a lot of things can change between now and a future in orthopedics, my goal is to help people overcome these problems," said Parker. "I had a great support system to get solutions to my injuries, so I want to be part of the solution for other athletes."

To augment her pursuit of a career in medicine, Parker shadowed several physicians in the clinic at Iowa Orthopedics during the summer before her junior year. During the same summer, she was also able to observe a surgeon at Des Moines Orthopedics. Last summer, before her senior year began, Parker interned with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the Center for Advanced Orthopedic Studies. Despite her early interests in medicine, Parker's choice in a career was reinforced throughout her basketball career.

"I understand the physical and mental toll that this process has on an athlete," said Parker. "An injury isn't just a torn ligament, it's missing games and workouts when you're sitting on the sideline, it's learning how to walk again when you desperately want to be playing, it's figuring out how to deal with your anger and frustration at your body so you can trust it enough to get back in the game."

Parker's passion for the game has deep roots. At the age of five, she began learning the sport after following her older brother, Samuel, to his basketball practices. She was playing competitively on a travel team by the age of 10. It was not until her freshman year of high school however, that she "developed a passionate desire to play at the collegiate level." Despite the distance, Parker chose to attend and play basketball for Holy Cross because of the community, academics and Division I athletics. Parker soon discovered that being part of the Holy Cross basketball team, or any team for that matter, has farther-reaching impacts than she ever imagined.

Throughout her four years at Holy Cross, she has learned several things from Holy Cross head coach Bill Gibbons. "We are in a fortunate position as scholarship athletes at a school such as Holy Cross," said Parker. "Because we are so fortunate, it is important that we make time to give back to the community in whatever ways we can, little or big. Things like visiting a middle school or volunteering at the Mercy Center don't take up a lot of our time, yet they can make a huge difference for the people that we are helping."

"It is not a coincidence that Emily's arrival on Mount. St. James began a run of three terrific seasons competing for three Patriot League championships," said Gibbons. "We were in need of a rebounding, scoring and defensive presence at the center position, and Emily provided that from day one. She has battled through injuries and pain to give us everything that she has, and her teammates and coaches realize and respect that. Her resilience through her injuries have meant a great deal to this program!"

When reflecting on what has made her the player that she is today, Parker mentions a quote from Lou Holtz that resonates with her and her teammates. "You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose." Parker says she was especially struck by this quote. "Essentially, I have learned to enjoy the successes as they come, but not rest on them," said Parker. "On the other side, I have also learned to take something from the losses, but not let them define me. It's a lesson that I imagine I will continue to learn until I graduate, and most likely in the real world as well."

Parker carries this mentality into her schoolwork. Balancing Division I athletics with the intense pre-med workload is certainly no easy feat. "The honest answer is that it's kind of like a juggling act," said Parker. "Once the semester starts, I throw all of these things into motion and try to keep them going as best I can. I have definitely improved every year that I've been here, and my time management skills and study strategies have gotten very well developed." Parker has certainly succeeded in being both a student and an athlete as she made the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll as a sophomore and junior.

Even though Parker finds herself in a different time zone than her family, she still finds all the support she needs from them. In addition to watching all of her games online, Parker sees her parents and brother as role models. "I hope that one day I can reach my career goals and truly repay them for all that they have done," said Parker.

At Holy Cross, Parker has found yet another support system, this time in her friends and teammates. "My roommates Melanie, Erin and Nicole have been a huge source of support. I feel so lucky to have met them by chance our freshman year. They come to my games and cheer like crazy, and open up their homes to me for holidays and even summer internships. They're great friends and are definitely positive influences in my life."

In addition to her roommates, Parker finds support on and off the court from her teammates. "They uniquely understand the demands that I'm under as a student-athlete, and they have a sense of humor that can lighten any situation that we find ourselves in."

Parker believes these relationships are an integral part of her Holy Cross experience. "I will take away a work ethic and time management skills that will continue to benefit me in the years to come. I will also take away very meaningful relationships with professors, friends and teammates."

This story appears in the 2015 Patriot League Tournament program, which will be available for purchase at host sites for both the men and women's basketball tournaments.