Elyssa Parker 鈥25听
B.A., International Studies (with Honors), Philosophy Minor
Hometown: Mechanicsville, Va.
A competitive rider from age five, Elyssa Parker qualified for the 2025 IHSA Nationals in Individual Limit Fences. At the 2024 Nationals, she placed seventh in team limit flat and eighth in fences鈥攁n impressive feat for someone who once doubted she鈥檇 ride in college. 鈥淏efore committing, I took a lesson with Sherri West, coach and director of the Equestrian Program, and knew I could grow under her coaching,鈥 she says.
Parker, a four-time ISHA and ODAC All-Academic First Team honoree, served as senior captain of the Hollins Equestrian Team. 鈥淥ur team members come from different backgrounds, states, and countries and have different riding styles, but nothing beats the connection formed over a common love,鈥 she says.
Equally strong academically, Parker majored in international studies and minored in philosophy to challenge herself. Through the Batten Leadership Certificate and a senior capstone with Washington and Lee University鈥檚 Blue Ridge Mile program, she helped non-violent offenders navigate driver鈥檚 license reinstatement. Her summer 2023 internship with ReEstablish Richmond offered similar support to refugees, deepening her understanding of legal barriers.
鈥淢测 Refugees and Resettlement class opened my eyes to the challenges migrants face,鈥 says Parker, whose honors thesis compared refugee resettlement in the U.S., Canada, and Italy. This fall, she鈥檒l begin a master鈥檚 program at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, with plans for law school and a career in immigration law.
She also supported recruitment events for admission and the barn, sharing the advice she followed herself: 鈥淗ollins is what you make it. There鈥檚 no pressure to do it all鈥攂ut if you want to, you鈥檒l have the support to succeed.鈥
Highlights
- Sarah McCutchen Cook International Studies Award听
- Recipient of the 2024-2025 Hollins Athletics Coaches Excellence Award听
- Honors Thesis: 鈥淕lobally cross-examining case studies of refugee resettlement: How do these help us understand 鈥渟uccessful鈥 refugee integration? A look at refugees and how they are resettled in the USA, Canada, and Italy鈥澨
- Independent study on the inherent racism in the LSAT with Ashleigh鈥疊reske, Ph.D., assistant professor of International Studies, January 2024听
