Some people may say being in yearbook, volleyball and softball, and maintaining a 3.9 GPA is a nearly impossible task, but Skyla Jenai Parker has managed it throughout her high school career.
She also is very passionate about music. She likes all genres, but gets tired of repeatedly listening to the same thing.
“My dad always played music when I was growing up: everyday we would go in the car and listen to his Michael Jackson CD, the whole thing,” Parker said.
She has stopped listening to the radio, and began looking for new music, finding an interest in newer sounds, not just pop. As she matured, so did her music taste. She also likes to sing. She was in choir for a while, but has since decided that she does not like to sing in front of people.
The person Parker looks up to most is her mother, in part because she gives great advice. Another reason is because her mother graduated high school at 16, moved away from home then graduated college and got her Ph. D in nursing, all while taking care of two children at home.
She said she wants to pursue a career in journalism because she likes English, but did not want to be a teacher or author. Parker is looking into the University of Oklahoma, particularly its journalism program at Gaylord College. According to www.rtdna.org, in a 2014 poll the University of Oklahoma ranked as the fifth journalism school in the country. Parker’s parents have set up a college fund for her, and she plans on getting as many scholarships as possible.
Parker adds that her favorite quote is “Don’t ruin today by worrying about yesterday’s problems.”
This is a quote she has loved since her freshman year. She found it one day when she was really stressed over her workload at school, and has since lived by it. She now tries her best to not let her past get in the way of her future.
