Payton Parks '22 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Payton Parks. Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed playing sports. My grandpa and mom had influenced me to follow the sport that I would be more passionate about. My mom had inspired me to try-out volleyball in middle school. From that moment on, my love for the game has grown tremendously. Throughout my time playing volleyball, I have learned a lot about myself. The 2 major things I have learned is to never take anything you have for granted. Anything can happen at any given time; injuries and setbacks had made me realize that nothing is ever set and stone. The 2nd thing I have learned is being a student before being an athlete plays a huge role for any team. Many challenges have been faced along the journey of playing volleyball whether it was injuries, a pandemic, or canceled games. However, during those times I have found many ways to improve my knowledge of the game. Through it all I have always stayed positive, courageous, and calm with anything that has been thrown in my direction. 

Currently, I am enrolled in a dual-credit program called Running Start. Within Running Start, I can earn credits towards my associates degree and credits towards my high school diploma. I hold a 3.69 cumulative G.P.A. for running start and I have been inducted into my colleges National Honor Society called Phi Theta Kappa. In the high school, I love to be involved in anything that involves helping others. In November of 2020, I was inducted into my high school National Honor Society. Recently, I was accepted into Link Crew, which is a group of students formed together to help incoming first-year students and newcomers around the school. They also get involved in leadership opportunities within the surrounding area. My academic goals for high school are to graduate high school in the spring of ‘22 with not only my high school diploma but also with my associates degree in Kinesiology. After high school, I would like to transfer to a 4-year college where I can earn a bachelors in Elementary Education with a minor in Biology and earn a master's in Teaching.