"My time at Arizona has helped me prepare for this. The people around me taught me how to be responsible because I've had to balance being a student and an athlete. I strive for perfection, so when I get a job, I am going to do the best I can."
 
Sam Thomas
Sport: Women's Basketball
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
 
Ever since Sam Thomas arrived on campus in the summer of 2017, she has been looked upon as a leader. In just her sophomore season, she was named a team captain and retained her captain status this past season.

Her involvement with CATS Academics and Life Skills, along with her role on the women's basketball team, has given her the traits a coach or any CEO in the country look for in a leader.

The Las Vegas native embodies Arizona's "Wildcat Way", which includes "a Commitment to an Athlete's Total Success (C.A.T.S.) by working together to provide opportunities for student-athletes to become academic, athletic and life champions."

Thomas is well on her way to becoming a champion in academics, athletics, and life in general.

She has taken full advantage of both CATS Academics and Life Skills in her three years in Tucson and has become a model student-athlete, boasting a near 4.0 GPA and while being named honorable mention All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defense this season. She was also named to the Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll this year and was CoSIDA Academic All-District last season.

"CATS has helped me become a better leader," Thomas said. "The people around me have taught me how to be responsible because I've had to balance being a student and an athlete. Now that I'm an upperclassmen, they have helped me get ready for the real world, such as building a resume."

That resume is about to get a little longer as Thomas was accepted into an internship program at Nike, where she will be working with the global brand marketing team.

When this opportunity presented itself, Thomas was a bit skeptical because working for Nike seemed so far-fetched, but after her academic counselor Max Krieger and teammate Dominique McBryde pushed her to go for it, it was only a matter of time before she got the job.

"I was thinking of my future because I had no idea what I wanted to do after basketball, but I knew I wanted to work in sports," Thomas said. "I thought this would be a great opportunity, and who wouldn't want to work for Nike?"

It took a lot of work for Thomas to get the internship, which included seven interviews with Nike representatives. She credits Associate Athletic Director for CATS Life Skills and 2020 Arizona Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Becky Bell and Assistant Director for CATS Life Skills Sofia Reed for preparing her for this opportunity of a lifetime.

"They really helped me with the interview process by doing mock interviews with me," Thomas said. "I had to do about seven interviews with Nike to get this internship. Before every interview I had, Becky would help me prepare and ask me questions that I might get in the interview. Sofia has also helped me a ton. She has pushed me to be a leader and be more involved."

Thomas is going into her internship with a ton of confidence that she will excel in Portland working for Nike due in large part to her three years at Arizona has given her the tools to succeed.

"My time at Arizona has really helped me prepare for this, mainly because I have been one of the team leaders since I was a freshman," Thomas said. "They told me that during the internship that it really is up to us to get the job done, so I know that I can lead a team of interns if I have to."

Thomas will begin her internship with Nike online in June before her senior season with Arizona Women's Basketball.