By: Nick Astalos - Capital
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Many collegiate student-athletes compete in multiple sports while also achieving high academic success. Though, not many do it with the fierce competitive edge that Samaree Perkins has.
Perkins, who is a fourth-year member of both the Capital University Women’s Basketball and Volleyball programs, approaches each and every day as a multi-sport athlete with a unique drive to succeed. Perkins, who is entering her fourth year in the Capital 3+3 program and her first as a law school student, has obtained 4.0 grades and numerous academic accolades since becoming a collegiate student-athlete, all while competing with great success in two sports on the hardwood inside The Capital Center.
As a player, Samaree entered the college game and announced herself as someone to watch for, immediately being rewarded with the OAC Freshman of the Year award in basketball. That has since transpired into two All-OAC First Team accolades, an All-Region Second Team honor, and several weekly conference and national recognitions. Through her work and effort on the court and in the classroom, Perkins has also received several awards including Academic All-Conference and CSC Academic All-District – awards that put a higher emphasis on her classroom achievements.
Recognizing her effort in the classroom more specifically, Perkins earned Capital University sponsored awards including the English Department Award for Excellence in Professional Writing Award, Distinguished Senior Leader Award, and Outstanding Senior Student Leader Award.
As an undergraduate student, Samaree majored in Professional Writing and Journalism with a minor in Philosophy. Currently, she is enrolled at the Capital University Law School as a 1L student aiming to become a lawyer and eventually a judge. As an undergraduate student, Perkins chose her field of study, looking to enhance her understanding and skills in a field that would be directly transferable to law school, showing just how important her initiative to attend law school and to succeed at it was.
“I want to be a lawyer and eventually a judge,” said Perkins. “I always knew that I wanted to pursue litigation work but the aspiration to be a judge is new. In continuing to gain a deeper understanding of the legal system, I have learned how influential judges are, especially during sentencing and restorative justice.”
Despite already being a role model on the court as a basketball and volleyball player, Perkins has always sought to be the model that her parents were for her and her siblings all throughout life.
“I am motivated to make my parents proud,” Samaree said when referring to her greatest motivations in life. “My parents have worked extremely hard to provide for my siblings and I. They modeled what it is like to work diligently and serve others. My greatest hope is that I represent them well and carry on their legacy.”
Aiming to be involved in the legal system both as a lawyer and a judge is just a small taste as to how Samaree plans to represent her parents’ model to work diligently and serve others in life. In addition to that aim , the foundation that she has established as a competitor and a dedicated student-athlete have afforded her many more opportunities to do just that.
“Aside from the awards and accolades I’ve received, I am proud of how I can be recognized as a fierce competitor,” said Perkins. “My community knows I devote maximum effort to every endeavor regardless of the sacrifices. My win-first mentality and competitive nature apply to all aspects of my life, not just on the court. I hope whenever my time at Capital is up, people can point to me as an example of leadership, poise, resiliency, and drive.”
If striving to be her best on the court and in the classroom wasn’t enough for Perkins, she has also fully immersed herself on campus being a member of The Chimes student newspaper, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Career Development, Residential and Commuter Life, Women in Law, Columbus Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, and Black Law Students Association. On top of all of that, Perkins worked as a Red Bull Student Marketer and as an AAU basketball coach with Ryze Athletics.
Samaree credits Capital University in a number of ways for impacting her journey. The unique
Accelerated 3+3 Bachelor of Arts/Juris Doctor Program offered by the school initially attracted Perkins to her pathway of attending law school after just three years. Beyond the attraction to her course offerings at the school Perkins sought the ability to play both volleyball and basketball at the collegiate level. Once she arrived on campus, Perkins began to capitalize on the opportunities and relationships that the school had to offer.
“Capital has helped me achieve my goals because the support system at the school has helped me expand my network,” stated Perkins. “I have built lasting professional and personal relationships that I am forever grateful for. I have attended national conferences, played overseas, and been exposed to so many different opportunities because I am a Capital student.”
As a college student-athlete it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and lose track of time while being as active and involved as someone like Perkins. Despite all of her involvement, Samaree has not missed a beat and continued to excel in all areas of her life – academics, athletics, and extracurriculars.
“Someone once told me that time management is about harmony not balance,” Samaree stated. “This means not every aspect of my life has equal footing, but the time and energy I devote to certain things is intentional and what works best for me.”
While being a student-athlete at any school at the collegiate level carries with it an innate desire to compete and to compete with passion, it can be said Samaree’s motivation to compete goes just that much deeper as she molds her entire life around that idea. With that mindset and the ambitions to be an influential role model now and in the future, there is no doubt Samaree Perkins will continue to achieve her goals to do just that after completing her time at Capital University.