An office down the hall from the cafeteria has a new woman in charge. The office is tidy, with Gatorade and snacks for athletes in the front, new uniforms organized in clear boxes, and a small piece of Kobe Bryant artwork behind the desk. The owner of this office started at Parker less than two months ago but is acclimating to the place that is Parker’s Athletic Department.

Assistant Athletic Director Amber Scott took up her job at Parker on August 5, following the exit of Lauren Gill. Gill had worked at Parker for four years, and upon announcing her departure from Parker, the search for a new Assistant Athletic Director began. The search process, conducted by Head Athletic Director Bobby Starks, Assistant Principal Ruth Jurgensen, and Middle School Principal John Novick, took place from the end of the 18-19 school year during the summer.

“I really believe in what Parker stands for, and all of the initiatives dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and equity,” said Scott, reflecting on one of her primary reasons for choosing Parker. “I really felt like it was the right place for me after meeting the leadership… and visiting the campus. At the time of visiting the campus, I really foresaw myself being here.”

After completing her undergrad at California State University, Scott earned her B.A in Kinesiology with a concentration in health and wellness promotion. While at school, Scott played basketball but unfortunately had to stop after her sophomore year because of multiple injuries.

While she couldn’t continue on the court, Scott joined the college’s sports department as an employee, working as a basketball official, then as an office assistant, and finally as one of the school’s two student program managers. Upon graduating, Scott was offered a job at Texas Instruments. At T.I., Scott coordinated internal sports for company employees, running leagues for basketball, volleyball, and tennis, among other things.

“A lot of things that we believe in align with her personal vision,” said Starks. He explained how she had excellent qualifications, similar to other candidates who made it to the end of the hiring process. “She really separated herself by understanding the landscape of Parker,” Starks said. “She is very personable, and we want someone who can connect with our student athletes, teachers, parents, and coaches.”

Scott was looking for a senior job in an athletics department, and found Parker attractive partly because Chicago was one of her top relocation destinations. After expressing her interest to Parker, Scott did a phone interview initially, followed by a Google Hangout interview with Starks, Jurgensen, and Novak, and was finally invited to do an in-person interview, getting the job shortly thereafter.

Scott described one of the objectives she’s worked on in her short time at Parker. “I think there’s a huge opportunity for social media growth,” Scott said. “She explained how in researching Parker, she couldn’t find much information on the athletic happenings. She explained how she would like to give everybody a more accessible way to learn about Parker sports, via social media outlets.

Scott’s day to day responsibilities include directing transportation of student athletes, scheduling games, and managing uniforms and equipment for various teams. Scott shares responsibilities mainly with Starks and Operations Coordinator Ellen Sandquist. 

Starks reflected on Scott’s dedication to her job despite her lack of time to adjust. “She has done a tremendous job,” Starks said. “Right now I equate it to having to roll out of bed and jump onto a treadmill that’s going 10 miles an hour.” He explained that the two of them have had regularly scheduled meetings together, which has caused them to develop a strong and helpful relationship.

Varsity Basketball Forward Rohan Jain reflected on why Scott is great for the students. “I think she’s very personable,” Jain said. “She’ll talk to you about her personal life, how she’s so excited about her new job, and you can tell she has a passion for it.”

Jain also expressed how he hopes Scott can improve Parker athletics. “I think it’s important that she gets the students to take on athletic matters. In the past there have been meetings at the beginning and end of the year, but instead there should be individual meetings, because Mrs. Scott is really good at having conversations, and that would go well.”

As Parker heads toward the winter season, Scott will be introduced to new traditions such as Blue Out games, athletic banquets, and soccer and field hockey teams making runs toward the state championship. “I’m already excited about year two,” Scott said. “ I wanna make those competing as student athletes feel like it’s a community and help establish a great athletics culture.”