Scholar Stories: Parnes Turning Love of Animals into Career Path at U-M
2/12/2020 10:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse, Features
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
By Ryan Makuch
For much of her life, Sara Parnes had an idea of what she wanted to do.
"Being around animals makes me happy," she said.
Her love for animals came from a young age. She quickly figured out that working with them was something she could do forever.
Parnes will soon get that chance. A senior midfielder on the University of Michigan women's lacrosse team, Parnes is going through the process of applying to veterinary school. This past summer helped prepare her for what's to come.
"I had an internship over the summer with a veterinary orthopedic group, and I really enjoyed it. I got to see a couple of surgeries where they repair CCL tears, which is like an ACL in a human, so just seeing that really caught my eye."
As she laid out her dream to work with small animals, Parnes also talked about how she was able to shadow an oncology unit as well as a dental unit. Her love for animals also plays into her interest in people as well.
"The way they make people happy interests me," Parnes said. "I'm a big fan of giving back to the community and to others."
As a vet, Parnes would get the chance to help out the animals that play integral roles in the lives of their owners.
On the field and in practice, Parnes offers valuable experience and is a hard worker. The team is coming off a 16-4 record and its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history. She is a two-time letterwinner, twice earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. Parnes' ability to balance her coursework and her time in practice make her an example to follow for the 19 underclassmen on the team.
Her strenuous major makes those two Academic All-Big Ten honors even more impressive. A lover of science with an interest in psychology, the Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience major is right up her alley.
"I obviously like the science part of it, but I've always been interested in psychology. I think it's really interesting to see how the brain influences how you do things in life."
Parnes also found a correlation between psychology and the field she intends on going into.
"Animals can't speak for themselves, so you have to speak to the owners a lot."
Parnes added that the work she is doing in psychology will go a long way in understanding what owners are thinking as she takes care of their pets.
Another key part of what she does off the field is her work in the community. As a student-athlete, she enjoys using her platform to help others, specifically with Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses with a collegiate sports team.
"We were matched with Team IMPACT about two years ago. We have Phoebe Keech on our team. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was younger [at the age of 2] so she joined our team and just has blossomed from there."
Parnes noted how much she enjoys seeing Phoebe grow into a social butterfly. Parnes mentioned how rewarding the process has been for her, her family and her team. To Parnes, what she does is bigger than just lacrosse and winning a game. It's about helping those around her.
Her own road to Michigan started as an upperclassman at Oakdale High School in Ijamsville, Maryland.
"I stepped on campus and immediately fell in love with the pride and belonging."
She recalled how she felt as if people were always wearing Michigan apparel and saying "Go Blue!" on the streets. This welcoming atmosphere, combined with the athletics and academics, made this a fantastic place for Parnes to spend her undergraduate career.
After getting on campus, Parnes learned on the fly like most college students. Recalling what some of the biggest differences have been from being at Michigan as a freshman vs. as a senior, Parnes said that learning what it takes to be a student-athlete here was a big adjustment for her.
"It's no joke," she said. "Michigan has some of the best academics and best athletic programs in the country. Learning from being here is really going to help me in the next steps of my journey. I feel like any preparation I've got here is just going to make me a better person in the long run."
As a student and an athlete, Parnes appreciates the many opportunities that are open to her through the university.
"I am able to take cool classes which might not be in my path of becoming a veterinarian. Whether it's going to AC [Stephen M. Ross Academic Center] and getting a tutor or any of the career-prep stuff, the academic staff want the best for their students."
As she comes to the end of her lacrosse career at Michigan, she has two key pieces of advice for incoming freshmen.
"I would say take advantage of all the resources here," she said. "There are so many things available that I didn't realize until this year, whether it's everything through the athletic department or the school. There are so many things to help you succeed.
"The other thing is to not put too much pressure on yourself. I definitely want to do the best both in class and on the field, but sometimes it's a lot, and you have to take a step back and realize you're at one of the top schools in the nation."
Parnes leaves incoming freshmen with an important message for all, student-athlete or otherwise.
"You need to remember why you're here and know that you can do it," she said. "Just know that you are meant to be here."
