02/12/2026
Most people around here knew Mr. Parks as the man who owned the barbershop. If you grew up in this area and around Apple Valley, you probably remember the sound of the clippers, the laughter, the conversations that carried through the door. And when you heard “the Parks or the Barber Shop at Apple Valley,” that’s likely what came to mind.
But my story is a little different.
I knew Mrs. Parks as more than a familiar name in town. I knew her as a reading teacher at Maysville Elementary School. I was in her reading group in third grade—and I struggled. Reading didn’t come easy to me. Words felt heavy. Confidence felt far away.
But Mrs. Parks cared.
She didn’t just give me extra help; she gave me her time, her patience, and her belief. She took pride in what she did. She didn’t treat teaching as a job—she treated it as a calling. She connected. She invested. She endured.
Because of her, the rest of my school years looked different. I learned to read well. I became efficient in school. I gained confidence I didn’t even know I was missing. And it all traces back to that third-grade classroom and a teacher who chose to care.
I will never forget that year. I will never forget Mrs. Parks.
Now, more than 27 years later, to have her support during this election means more than I can put into words. People like her shape the future by pouring into it—one child at a time. Her impact didn’t end in that classroom. It lives on in the lives of the students she believed in.
As I run for District 3, I pray I carry the same heart and passion Mrs. Parks showed me—a heart that cares, a spirit that endures, and a commitment to serve others well.
With that kind of leadership, we can conquer great things in District 3.
