Melanie and Molly Thomas (HS'05 & HS'07)

Molly and Melanie Thomas (HS'05 & HS'07)

Molly Thomas, Class of 2005

• Education: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism University of Regina, Masters of Global Affairs University of Toronto
• Career: Award winning Correspondent, Anchor and Producer
• Personal Life: LOVES chicken wings - any day, anytime!

Melanie Thomas, Class of 2007

• Education: Juris Doctor, Osgoode Hall Law School; Honours of Business Administration, Ivey Business School at Western University
• Career: Private Practice, Banking, Philanthropy
• Personal Life: I love adventure - my greatest stories come from saying yes to an unexpected invitation to visit a new place or meet a new person

Molly: I work as an Investigative Correspondent for CTV’s W5. I also backfill as a national TV anchor for several shows. In my spare time, I emcee a variety of charity events, teach Zumba, love to dance salsa and bachata, and am always down for a competitive game of basketball or volleyball.

Melanie: I am currently Vice President for Community Foundations of Canada, a pan-Canadian network of philanthropic foundations. With my job, I travel to Canada's largest cities and smallest towns. It's a privilege to regularly connect with people from North, South, East and West in Canada. I also try and combine my work travels with my downtime, which helps because my Luther classmates are all over Canada! It's been wonderful to meet up with old friends across the country. I sit on a couple of Boards and when I'm home I prioritize spending time with my inner circle, eating incredible food & dancing hip hop & salsa. 

What sports did you participate in at Luther College?

Molly: Basketball, volleyball, track n' field, cheerleading, badminton 

Melanie: Basketball, volleyball, track & field (I only did track one year and I'm grateful no one had video phones at the time)   

How did Luther’s sports and academics prepare you for university and a career?

Molly: Luther taught me how to manage an extremely demanding schedule between school, sports, music, and friendships. I constantly was running from one activity to the next, while still being expected to excel at school. Teamwork was essential in every arena. Not much has changed in 17 years, I have a hectic travel schedule, jet setting to different cities and countries for my job, but I also prioritize time for fun activities and friendships along the way. Even at this age, I crave a healthy and fit lifestyle and that all started with routines around team sports.

Melanie: Playing sports taught me how to train. Training is hard, it burns, it's exhausting and it takes a while before you notice improvement. The mental fortitude that I learned from playing sports in high school has stuck with me. Getting through business and law school, at times, felt like a marathon and I relied on the notion of 'training' to get me through. And because of my background of team sports, I never wanted to do it alone. I regularly booked the group study rooms and always had my crew to study with every night. In my current job, when I face challenges, I tell myself this is 'training for the next thing' and it allows me to push through.

What was the best part of participating in high school sports at Luther and why?

Molly & Melanie: Luther sports taught us how valuable teamwork is in every arena of life. We all have to play various roles at different stages of our careers, and high school sports prepared us for that. You also learn how to win and lose gracefully and pick yourself up after a hard loss. In our opinion, grit, and the ability to bounce back from failure or a loss is one of the greatest skills you can learn at a young age. 

What is your favourite high school sports memory?

Molly: I used to love the lead up to a high school basketball game. The sound of the crowd filling up the bleachers, the laughs in the locker room while you lace up your sneakers, your favourite tunes blasting in the gym as you walk towards the court. I used to get butterflies in my stomach during warm up. I still get that feeling when I play pick up. 

Melanie: I can take myself back and feel the excitement of playing in front of your school. The ecstatic feeling of the whole school behind you and working as a unit with your teammates on each set - absolutely incredible!

Do you have a message to share about your extracurricular involvement at Luther College?

Molly: High school is a great launching pad to the activities and friendships that make life so valuable. Being involved in sports and extracurricular projects prepares you to learn from all kinds of people while making lifelong memories. While I love my work, it's not my whole life. What makes it full, is the people and experiences you are open to along the journey.

Melanie: Savour the moments to be part of a team and have that built into your schedule. I genuinely miss practice (never thought I'd say that, but I do!) a place to work out the kinks of your game and to laugh and push yourself shoulder to shoulder with all your teammates. High school is also a wonderful place to try -- get involved, push and allow yourself to be bad at something and in the process, you might find something that you love. But above all, nothing replaces people. Take time to make deep, genuine friendships. They truly can last a lifetime.