\u201cOne Saturday of volunteering by me could change a family\u2019s entire life. That\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been put in a lot of fortunate situations so being able to give back to a family in need, that\u2019s something I really wanted to do,\u201d says Parrish, who expects to graduate next spring. \u201cI love doing that. I look for those opportunities. I\u2019ve been blessed to have been part of this one for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giving back to those in need has always been important part of Parrish\u2019s life. In high school, he took mission trips through Next Step Ministries, offering his time constructing homes devastated by natural disasters in places like Oklahoma, Mississippi and South Carolina. Last summer, he volunteered for the entire summer doing construction work on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. <\/p>\n
![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/05\/josh-parrish-volunteering.jpeg\")
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\u201cI\u2019ve always had a sense of wanting to help people,\u201d says Parrish. \u201cOne Saturday of volunteering by me could change a family\u2019s entire life. That\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
On campus, the Rawlings Sports Business Management (RSBM) major supports fellow students as a resident assistant in Saints Hall and leads campus tours for prospective students. He is also president of his academic program\u2019s leadership council. But there\u2019s more: Parrish also serves as a youth pastor at West Springs Church in Ballwin\u2014that is, when he\u2019s not busy with his internship at Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe people around Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPcare about me and invested in my life, and that\u2019s how I have these amazing opportunities and jobs,\u201d says Parrish. \u201cI couldn\u2019t do it without all of the support from people on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
As president of the Rawlings Sport Business Management Leadership Council, Parrish is in charge of the mentoring initiative, which pairs freshmen students with students who are further along in the program. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want to continue to put this program in a much better place,\u201d says Parrish. \u201cI\u2019m so passionate about the students and the program. We continue to think of ways to improve it and the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parrish created other networking opportunities when he launched a job-shadow platform with sports organizations, connecting students with their career interests. <\/p>\n
\u201cHis willingness to help the student body grow through professional development opportunities is second to none,\u201d says Daniel Schmidt, RSBM program coordinator. \u201cHe has the respect from his peers and is willing to tackle any opportunity that is put in front of him. He\u2019s a great asset to the program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Exploring more about Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPwas something Parrish needed to do before deciding to enroll. He had received an offer but was leaning toward a different college to continue playing football. <\/p>\n
Jason Williams, EdD, director of the program, asked Parrish to attend an annual RSBM presentation on campus. Parrish agreed, but got lost after arriving at Maryville. He asked a few students nearby to point out the auditorium, and to his surprise they went out of their way to walk with him across campus to the building. During the short trip, the students offered glowing testimonials. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey were telling me all these great things about Maryville, and I thought they were being fake,\u201d says Parrish. <\/p>\n
![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2018\/05\/180402_naunheim_maryville_tour_parrish_003-1024x591.jpg\")
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Following the RSBM presentation, Williams offered his pitch for the University\u2019s program by expounding on the numerous prospects for real-job experiences. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe said \u2018Josh, we have all these jobs, internships and opportunities for you,\u2019\u201d says Parrish. \u201c’This is the place you need to be. This is the place where you\u2019re going to make it happen.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Williams and the group of students were accurate in their assessments that day, Parrish says.
\n\u201cË¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPhas given me a future and experiences I would have never gotten anywhere else,\u201d says Parrish. \u201cThese people care, not just about me, but about every student here. They want us to be amazing, and I just took that and ran with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduation, Parrish looks forward to working for a professional sports organization\u2014and more opportunities for giving back to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love working with my hands so I definitely plan to work with Habitat for Humanity or other service organizations after I graduate in whatever city I may be in,\u201d says Parrish. \u201cI want to serve as much as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if it\u2019s just one Saturday at a time. <\/p>\n