Melanie and Molly Thomas

Molly Melanie

• Class of 2005

• Education: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Luther College at the University of Regina, Masters of Global Affairs, University of Toronto

• Career: Award winning news correspondent, anchor and producer

• Personal Life: Loves chicken wings - any day, any time!

• 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 used to get butterflies in my stomach during warm up. I still get that feeling when I play pick up.

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. I also try and combine my work travels with my downtime, which helps because my Luther classmates are all over Canada! When I’m home, I prioritize spending time with my inner circle, eating incredible food and dancing hip hop and salsa.

What sports did you participate in at Luther College?

Molly: Basketball, volleyball, track and field, cheerleading, badminton.

Melanie: Basketball, volleyball, track and field.

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. 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. Even at this age, I crave a healthy and fit lifestyle and that 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. With my background in team sports, I never wanted to do it alone. I regularly booked the group study rooms. 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 sports at Luther and why?

Molly & Melanie: Luther sports taught us how valuable teamwork is in every arena of life. 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 Luther sport 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

Melanie: 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: 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. High school is also a wonderful place to get involved, push and allow yourself to be bad at something and in the process, you might find something that you love. Take time to make deep, genuine friendships. They truly can last a lifetime.