The Big East, the athletic conference in which many of Georgetown University’s intercollegiate athletic teams play, named two alumni its scholar-athletes of the year Aug. 27.
Julia Leas (COL ’22, GRD ’23), a three-time All-American and Big East defensive player of the year for the women’s soccer team, and Parker Stokes (CAS ’23, GRD ’24), a two-time All-American for the men’s track and field team, won the 2023-2024 Big East scholar-athletes of the year awards. This year marks the third consecutive year that both honorees are Georgetown students and the second consecutive year Leas has received the honor.
Stokes, a member of the professional running team Brooks Beasts Track Club, said that he was shocked to receive a text from his coach at Georgetown alerting him he had received the honor.
“Being honored at the Georgetown level and having the students and staff recognize that achievement is great,” Stokes told The Hoya. “It’s good to know you’re appreciated by your alma mater. I was super excited to find out.”
Leas, who currently plays professional soccer for the Swedish club Vittsjö GIK, said that finding out she had received the award provided a much-needed confidence boost.
“It was a really big honor when I saw it, and a really good reminder of what I’m capable of,” Leas told The Hoya. “I had actually just had a really bad day, and was kind of low on confidence. And then it was funny that that night I found out I got the scholar-athlete of the year. It was what I needed to just be sure in myself and be like, hey, I can do whatever I set my mind to.”
The award grants each student a $2,000 scholarship for use in graduate or professional studies. Since the awards’ establishment in 1985, this year is the eighth time both recipients have been from the same school.
Georgetown also led the league in overall all-academic awards, the Big East’s award for scholar-athletes who excel in the classroom, with the conference selecting 425 Georgetown athletes for the 2023-24 Big East all-academic team.
Stokes received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Georgetown before earning a master’s degree in management. He said that support from his coach, teammates, parents and professors helped him to manage life as a student-athlete.
Alton McKenzie, the director of track and field and cross-country, said that Stokes’ academic success, alongside finishing his final season as a NCAA champion, reflects his dedication.
“It speaks to what we’ve tried to establish, the tradition of student-athlete excellence we try to establish,” McKenzie told The Hoya. “And it speaks to how dedicated he is that in his last year, he was voted scholar-athlete of the year. He was around for a while and definitely made an impact on our program, and is an example of what we’ve tried to exhibit and ensure is at the forefront of what we do on and off the track.”
Leas played for the Hoyas for five seasons, finishing her collegiate career with an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in biomedical science policy and advocacy.
She said that her advice for student-athletes would be to enjoy their time on a college team.
“Although I love life where I am now, there’s times I wish I was back in my college house, back on the college pitch, playing with that group of girls,” Leas said. “Just make the most out of it.”
Georgetown women’s soccer Head Coach Dave Nolan, who coached Leas throughout her Hoya career, said that being a student-athlete comes with demanding challenges which Leas overcame.
“These kids are not professionals, they’re young people,” Nolan told The Hoya. “They have young people problems and young people issues and young people things that have to take their attention. But Julia always seemed to be able to get everything done. She ticked every box and that’s really not easy, so I think it takes a particularly driven young person to be as successful as she was.”
Stokes said that the most important part of being a successful student-athlete is to pay attention to one’s essential needs and not let fear of the future dictate one’s life.
“You can’t stress out about it,” Stokes said. “You kind of just have to let it happen and let your aspirations and your dedication guide you in the right direction. No matter which way that goes.”