Kennesaw State Athletics celebrates Black History Month by honoring former student-athletes and their remarkable achievements.
Sarah Ogoke
Sarah Ogoke played two seasons (2012-13, 2013-14) as a starting guard at Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) and was part of two NAIA Division I national tournament teams and one Southern States Athletic Conference Eastern Division championship squad (2014). She was tabbed NAIA Second Team All-American in 2014 and Third Team All-American in 2013 while also earning first team All-SSAC selection. Ogoke, who finished her career with 1,000 points, led SPSU in scoring (451 points, 17.4 ppg.), field goals made (145), three-point field goals made (43), three-point field goal percentage (40.2), free throws made (118), free throw percentage (81.9), defensive rebounds (159, 6.1 drpg.) and assists (83, 3.2 apg.) in 2013-14 while averaging 7.6 rebounds per game and 1.9 steals per game for a team that finished 23-8 overall. She was named to the 2013 WBCA NAIA Coaches' All-America Team Honorable Mention list, and SSAC Defensive Player of Year and Newcomer of Year in 2013 after leading the team in scoring (18.9 ppg.) and rebounds (279, 9.6 rpg.) while tallying 2.7 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while helping the Hornets to a 25-6 record. Ogoke concluded her career averaging 18.2 points, 8.7 rebound, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals a game, while shooting 41.5 percent from field, including 38.2 percent from three-point range and 80.6 percent from the free throw line. She also participated at the WNBA Combine in Nashville (May 2014) and has been a member of the Nigerian senior national team, D'Tigress, since 2011.
She is currently pursuing a doctorate in podiatry while playing in Mozambique.
Teddy Parrish
Teddy Parrish was an Owl for just two years, as he was a member of the 1993-94 and 1994-95 men's basketballs squads after beginning his collegiate career at South Georgia College. But the time he spent on the Kennesaw campus, as an athlete and more notably as a business major, had a huge impact on his career path after college. Right out of Kennesaw State, Parrish was hired at the prestigious Henssler Financial Group. After 20 years at the firm, Parrish fulfilled a long-time dream by starting his own financial company in Kennesaw, Parrish Capital, that he has been the President and CIO of since August 2014.
When thinking back on his time as an Owl, Parrish fondly remembered the camaraderie and atmosphere with all the athletes, partly due to the teams all living together in the same apartment buildings. Parrish had the chance to interact with players from all different Owl teams, and he and his teammates would often go to their games, including the softball team. "I remember softball at that time, they were national champions, and we quickly learned that you never wanted to get in a snowball fight with a fast-pitch softball team!"
Parrish was a regular contributor for Kennesaw State on the court, appearing in 27 games and starting a total of six in his final season with the Owls in 1995-96. He averaged 5.0 ppg as a senior, while also finishing second on the team in rebounds per game with 5.8.
His time with the Owls also helped focus his career path, as a former teammate expressed how important a finance degree could be. Parrish would end up as a business major with a concentration in finance, and really started to flourish in his major thanks to the guidance of several professors including Don Sabbarese and Ladd Kockman, who would be the one to recommend him for his first full-time job in the finance field at Henssler Financial. Other professors that made an impact on Parrish included Ken Gilliam, Dr. Gene Henssler and Dr. Roger Tutterow.
Parrish is appreciative of the opportunities being an Owl awarded him. "Coming from South Georgia, I always wanted to live in Atlanta. I knew I had to broaden my experiences. Playing basketball at Kennesaw State, while it didn't give me special attention, being a solid student-athlete did help me get more noticed and helped me stand out a little in the professor's eyes. They were all sports fans and they embraced having us in the classroom. That allowed me the chance to make an impression with the hard work I was doing on the academic side. Kennesaw State Athletics gave me that opportunity to network and make an impression, and I will always appreciate that."
He notes that his junior college coach had encouraged him to go to Kennesaw State because it was an up-and-coming program, but even after graduating, Parrish never could have imagined the university as it is today. "It's not even recognizable, the vastness of the campus. Kennesaw State has always been aggressive in its approach to growth and advancement. To be a R2 school now is so impressive, I can clearly see now the path they were going down from when I first was on campus. In retrospect, it seems so obvious given my experience at KSU."
He has continued to stay involved with both the university and the athletic department, as a KSU Foundation Trustee and a KSU Athletic Association Board member as well. In addition, he recently made a major gift on behalf of his family to support the KSU men's basketball program.
Parrish is just as proud of his path down to starting his business at Parrish Capital.
"Henssler gave me as much responsibility as I wanted, they invested a lot in me, and it was just a natural progression to do my own thing, which was to create and have my own shop," he said. "I am really happy to have built my firm the way I wanted to from the start, and even more importantly, Parrish Capital gives me the chance to help more minorities pursue a career in finance like I had when I first started out."
Jerome McKinzie
Jerome McKinzie set the standard during his Kennesaw State career, becoming the program's first athlete to advance to the NCAA Division I Indoor and Outdoor Championships where he was a two-time qualifier in the high jump. He was an eight-time (four indoor, four outdoor) ASUN Conference champion and first team all-conference honoree. McKinzie earned a bachelor's degree in communications.
McKinzie resides in San Diego, Calif. where he currently serves as a training coordinator. He designs new hire curriculums as well as training current employees. Prior to that, he helped launch the Atlanta branch of Compass Real Estate.
Jenifer Turner-Reid
Jenifer Turner-Reid was a rare multi-sport athlete in an era where specialization was the norm. After a successful career at Morrow High School, Jenifer came to Kennesaw State and thrust what was then an athletic program in its infancy, into national prominence by being a three-time Owl All-American -- the first in school history. As a track and field standout, Jenifer's fourth place finish in the 400-meter hurdles during the 1985 NAIA Track and Field National Championships in Hillsdale, Mich., made her the first-ever Kennesaw State All-American. Under the tutelage of then Head Coach David Poteet, she also participated in the 100-meter hurdles, short sprints, long and triple jumps as well as throwing the javelin. During her junior year in 1986 she led the Owls to their first-ever championship by helping the squad win the NAIA District title. She repeated as an All-American at the NAIA T&F Nationals in Russellville, Ark. After completing her third year of varsity basketball play, Jenifer capped her senior track season by three-peating as an All-American, this time in the long jump.
Since graduation, she received her Master's in Social Work from Clark Atlanta University. She currently is the Deputy Network Homeless Coordinator for the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing oversight to eight VA Homeless Programs in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
