Senior Salute - Parker Robinson
Education and sociology major is a member of swimming and diving team
Our "Senior Salute" series continues with Parker Robinson, an elementary education and sociology major from Silver Spring, Maryland. Robinson is a member of the swimming and diving team.
Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: Ultimately, it came down to which coach I wanted to have for the next four years. My dad told me something like "Parker, none of these coaches compare to Coach Rob. Please pick Wooster." He was definitely right.
Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: To me, becoming a Fighting Scot is the process of becoming the best version of yourself. Each class we take pushes us to prove that we are smarter than we give ourselves credit for and every practice we get through is a reminder of our physical and mental strength.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: I have had quite the journey with overcoming my own struggles while at Wooster. My favorite moment comes from being unexpectedly chosen by Coach Rob as a scorer for our conference championships in 2024. When I found out that I was scoring, I was terrified. At conference, I swam way better than I thought I would and even faster than Coach Rob thought I would. I am forever thankful for that trust Rob placed in me and its place in my own journey.
Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: The best part about being a student-athlete at Wooster is being able to come to my own teammates with academic questions or class recommendations. There are so many of us that at least one person has taken the class I was taking or considering taking, or they know someone who has taken it.
Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: I am co-founder and president of the campus Spikeball Club. While I am not an official member, I am the No. 1 fan of our a capella groups on campus, especially COWBelles.
Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: While Coach Rob Harrington is the reason I came to Wooster, Dr. Matthew Broda is the reason I stayed. He believed in me more than I ever did as a first-year and kept motivating me to do better even if I was already doing enough. I might not still be here if he was not my first-year seminar professor.
Q: What other people or resources impacted your Wooster experience in a positive way and how did these people and resources set you up to be successful at Wooster?
A: There are so many people who have impacted my Wooster experience. Besides the people I have already mentioned, I would like to shoutout Kyle Garase and Noah Javens, two assistant coaches who have since moved to other coaching jobs. These two were my rock last season and gave me some of the best swimming advice I ever received. I accredit a lot of my success to those two.
Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: My I.S. is about how practices like book banning and parental involvement in schools affect how or what a teacher teaches. I conducted interviews with teachers in my home county in Maryland to gather their thoughts.
Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: The best part about the Education program is the field experience component of several of the classes. For those outside of Education, field work is when we routinely visit real classrooms to either observe or teach lessons. Every experience has been so enriching. In the fall, I spent about five hours per week in a local kindergarten classroom for my field assignment, and this was the most fun I ever had in the field.
Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year self?
A: Just because you do not like doing something does not mean you should put less effort into it. Put your heart into everything you do and you will love all of it.
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