Featured image for post: Keisha Parker to Share Her Story at Barton College’s 117th Opening Convocation

Keisha Parker to Share Her Story at Barton College’s 117th Opening Convocation

WILSON, N.C. — August 20, 2018 — Barton alumna Keisha Parker, ’16, Constituent Services Manager for the Office of U.S. Senator Richard Burr, will share her compelling story as the featured speaker for the 117th Opening Convocation at Barton College. The annual campus event is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 11 a.m. in Howard Chapel.

A distinguished tradition at Barton College, Convocation signifies the official opening of the academic year, and provides a particularly meaningful milestone for freshmen as they are ushered into the Barton Experience. The combination of learning inside the classroom and the growth outside of the classroom is known as the Barton Experience.

“I am pleased to have Keisha Parker return to Barton as our convocation speaker,” shared Dr.  Gary Daynes, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Barton College. “Keisha’s story epitomizes the ways that a student’s hard work, in and out of the classroom, coupled with Barton’s commitment to hands-on learning, leads to a life of success and meaning.”

As the Constituent Services Manager for the Office of U.S. Senator Richard Burr, Parker juggles a hectic schedule as she oversees the front office staff for the Senator’s Office, which includes the hiring and supervision of staff assistants as well as the tour and visitor services coordinator. She also supervises the mail process, including sorting, data-entry, and distribution to staff,; presents written recommendations for Senate Pages to the Senate Secretary, oversees the Internship Program, and assists the press team with updating the website, among other responsibilities.

A native of Perquimans, Parker began in Senator Burr’s Washington office as a congressional intern in January 2016 and, soon after, she was offered the opportunity to serve as a staff assistant following graduation from Barton College in May 2016. Her strong work ethic and attention to detail led to a promotion in June 2017 as the Mail Manager and Intern Program Manager. This summer, Parker was recognized once again with another promotion and increased responsibility in the Senator’s Office.

“From meeting the President to evening strolls on the National Mall, I can honestly say that there is no place like D.C.,” noted Parker when asked about her life in Washington, D.C. “The biggest lesson that I have learned from living here is to embrace every opportunity that comes your way. You never know what you might see or who you will meet. I am very excited to return to my alma mater to speak at Opening Convocation, and I look forward to sharing stories of my time at Barton with the newly enrolled students as they embark on their own Barton Experience.”

During Parker’s Barton Experience, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications while actively participating in Greek life as a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority and in numerous campus activities through the Student Government Association that included Stop Hunger Now, United Way Paint Wars, and Super Heroes 2-Miler, among others. She served as President of the Barton College SGA for two consecutive terms. During her college tenure, Parker also had the opportunity to serve as a summer assistant in the Internship Program at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. following her junior year of college. This experience proved to be the catalyst for seeking future opportunities to work in the nation’s capital.

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