Academic All-Star – Renaissance High

Published February 15, 2017

The Academic All-Star award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a framed certificate, free food from Chick-fil-A and Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Renaissance High School junior Hailey Parker knows a thing or two about perseverance. Administrators say the 17-year-old is a dedicated student who always gives 100 percent.

“Hailey is one of the hardest workers in our school, and she never gives up,” said Renaissance High Principal Dr. Brian Bass. “Hailey has overcome tremendous adversity in her life personally and academically. She is consistently kind and compassionate to others.”

Hailey began attending Renaissance as a freshman and says the teachers are a big reason why she enjoys the school so much.

“I feel like the teachers really care about me,” said Hailey. “I’m not just someone they have to teach.”

Hailey’s favorite class is digital art. She says she’s learning a lot of skills that will come in handy in the future, even if she doesn’t know what type of career she wants to pursue.

“We work with programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign,” said Hailey. “We’ve made logos and stuff like that. Right now, we’re working on a 16-page magazine.”

One of the things Hailey loves to do when she’s not in school is draw. In fact, Hailey has had a passion for art since she was a child.

“When I was young, I would find things around the yard and make something with them,” said Hailey. “I just like to draw.”

When it comes to doing well in school, Hailey says she’s motivated by the people around her.

“I don’t want to disappoint my family,” said Hailey. “That’s a big one. I just really want to be successful and prove to everybody I can do it.”

As for being named the school’s Academic All-Star, Hailey says it’s nice to know her hard work has not gone unnoticed.

“It’s really heartwarming,” said Hailey. “I want to cry. I didn’t realize that it was that big of a deal to other people. It makes me feel happy and special.”