Ashley Lewis

Stephen F. Austin graduate student, Justin Saunders, spoke about his many accomplishments, and working for the biggest NBA stars of this time happens to be one of them.

Justin Saunders grew up in Athens, Texas, a small town about an hour and a half southeast of Dallas. He graduated from LaPoynor High School in 2006 as the salutatorian of his class. Justin, standing tall at 6’3, was a very decorated basketball player. As a senior, he was thrilled to have been named to the Academic All-State Team.  He was also fortunate, and talented, enough to play in two state all-star basketball games, and named First Team All-Henderson County, First-Team All-Region, and All-East Texas basketball teams. He then accepted a scholarship to LeTourneau University in Longview to play basketball but decided after his sophomore year that he wanted to attend Stephen F. Austin.

Saunders graduated from SFA in 2010 with his Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Despite being accepted into Master of Business Administration programs at Ole Miss and Tulane University, he stayed at Stephen F. Austin to continue his education. He was very active while attending school at SFA and was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2009. He was an active fraternity member of Texas Phi Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, named a member if the 1923 Society, Quality Enhancement Plan Design Team and its marketing subcommittee, Driving Jacks Review Board, a sophomore homecoming nominee, Jack Walkers, and the Safe Ride Programs United Committee, as well.

Being a very active student and athlete wasn’t all Justin aspired to do. He also worked for the championship winning team, the Dallas Mavericks, for six years.  He recalled that even though the NBA team members got paid substantially, they all worked very hard to be, and stay, in the positions that they are in. “They all work very hard and long hours,” Justin said.

He also disclosed information as to how heartbreaking it was to see the Mavericks lose against the Miami Heat. He said, “It’s not everyday that you see huge, grown men cry on their way to the locker room.” Fortunately, Saunders was also there when the Mavericks won the championship and even came to “know some of the players pretty well.”

Justin gushed about working at the All-Star game in Dallas, in 2010, and said that he was only a few feet from NBA giants such as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. NBA stars weren’t the only celebrities he happened to come in to contact with, though. He also recalled being around singers Shakira, Usher, and rapper, Lil Wayne.

He shared a funny occurrence in which he spent “an hour coloring a basketball all black with a sharpie” for music artist, Usher. He had to admit that coming in contact with such figures eventually didn’t affect him as much as it initially did but was always a cool thing to have experienced.

Currently, Justin is in the final semester of the MBA program and will be graduating from Stephen F. Austin again this upcoming December. He isn’t positive about what exactly he’ll decide to do post graduate school, but just like his past, his future will be bright and full of accomplishments.