Lindenwood Magazine - Fall 2018: Connecting to Alumni and Friends

Lindenwood University-Belleville / ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT HOMETOWN HERO RETURNS TO BELLEVILLE TO COACH AT ALMA MATER by JENNIFER FERGUSON Austin Frazier (’14) didn’t have to look too far from his native Belleville to find success, but it was to his surprise that his hometown offered him the opportunities he originally searched for elsewhere. As a 2004 graduate of Althoff High School in Belleville, Ill., Frazier moved on to play football at Illinois College, which he did for two years. “Football has always been one of my biggest passions,” said Frazier. “I was excited to have the opportunity to play collegiately, but it wasn’t the right fit for me at that time in my life.” So, Frazier returned home with football on his mind and landed a coaching gig as a defensive coordinator at Mater Dei High School in Breese, Ill. At the same time, he enrolled at Southwestern Illinois College and completed an associate degree. It wasn’t long after that Frazier returned to the football program at his alma mater, Althoff, but this time as a member of the coaching staff. It was then Frazier knew what his next steps would be professionally. “I knew I wanted and needed to go back to complete my bachelor’s degree,” said Frazier. “So I needed to find a school that could fulfill my academic needs, while allowing me to still coach football at the same time.” It was then that Frazier decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English at nearby Lindenwood University-Belleville. “Lindenwood had everything I needed,” he said. “It was close to home and work, so I couldn’t beat the convenience, and they had a degree in English with the opportunity to earn teaching certification. English was something in which I excelled, and I decided at that point, I wanted to stay in education.” Frazier said that during his time at Lindenwood Belleville, he grew to become very motivated academically and appreciated the close-knit group he was part of in the English Department. “We were a small but mighty group of English majors, which was nice because we became close with our professors and looked after each other, which I think helped us all succeed,” he said. In just two years’ time, Frazier completed his bachelor’s degree, earned his teaching certification, and, perhaps most importantly, accepted a full-time job as an English instructor and defensive coordinator at his very own Althoff High School. “It was kind of a fairy-tale story for me to come home and end up putting together a career out of my passion for football and teaching, especially at my own high school,” said Frazier. “I love Belleville and love to see it growing and thriving, and this goes to show you, you don’t have to go far from home to find success and satisfaction.” Austin Frazier 13 “So I needed to find a school that could fulfill my academic needs, while allowing me to still coach football at the same time.” Austin Frazier CAMPUS NEWS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT UPCOMING EVENTS LINDENWOOD SPORTS ALUMNI EVENTS AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES