Chance meeting leads to life changes
When Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ junior Austin Michelsen attended his senior ring ceremony in December, he was quick to credit Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ alumna Eva Parks for that special day.
By Nancy George
Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ News
DALLAS (Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ) – When Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ junior Austin Michelsen attended his senior ring ceremony in December, he was quick to credit Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ alumna Eva Parks for that special day.
 Austin Michelsen and Eva Parks |
Their story starts on Oct. 1, 2011: Michelsen and Parks were among a throng of fans celebrating the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ victory after the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ-TCU football game in Fort Worth. As they walked to the parking lot, the community college student and the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ 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 Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ to call me,” said Parks, a 2003 Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ journalism graduate and investigator/producer for KXAS-TV. “I transferred to Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ when I was a junior. It changed my life.”
Within a week Michelsen called Parks, scheduled an Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ tour, met with Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’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 Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ.
“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.
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