Parker County Today June 2016 | Page 16

I don’t like sitting in the office, I like traveling.” She knows the first year of engineering will be difficult, “But I’m up for the challenge,” she said. She also knows that like high school, you have to learn to manage your fun and still take care of your work. She’s used hers well, entering college with 24 hours of college credit through her dual credit classes at Brock. She’s looking forward to football season as a student at A&M, although she said, “We’ve had season football tickets since I was a baby.” She’s been a volleyball player during her four years at Brock with lots of team success, winning state her freshman year, third in state her sophomore year and second in state her junior year. “Volleyball has been a major part of my high school. It’s helped me grow and handle new situations. I’ll never forget playing at the state games. There’s nothing that can replace that,” she continued. Millsap High School Valedictorian Nathan Poynor JUNE 2016 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY Parents Jeana & Kenneth Poynor GPA 4.0 While not going far, Nathan is dreaming big as he starts his college career at Tarleton. He’s not sure if he will attend Tarleton more than one year, but he knows what he eventually wants to be and that’s a lawyer. He may major in either pre-law or accounting so he has more than one job option when he graduates. “Eventually I do want to go into the law field, I haven’t decided what aspect of the law, but I definitely want to be a lawyer,” he said. “I’ve always had a passion for doing the just thing. Making things fair and even for people, making sure that everything that is done is right,” 14 he continued. He was involved in student council and an honor society called Beta Club where he enjoyed the group’s charitable works. The memories he will carry with him include helping to organize a coat drive in the fall as well as attending the Feast of Sharing helping to feed the less fortunate during the annual event held in Fort Worth. Nathan is looking forward to trying new things and being more independent while still staying close to family while at Tarleton. He came to Millsap in the 3rd grade, “I like the close community aspect of it. Everybody is very kind here, they are very close, I like that part of a small town.” Salutatorian Anna Walker Parents Kim & Jerry Walker GPA 3.9 Anna is heading west to Abilene after graduation to attend Hardin Simmons University. She chose Hardin Simmons because “I love the small feel of it and it’s got a great Christian background. I really feel like I fit in there,” she said. She will be majoring in education with an emphasis in history with her sights set on eventually being a high school counselor. Anna was inspired by her own counselor who assisted with her applications and helped her obtain scholarships to help out with college costs. She has attended Millsap ISD since kindergarten and is looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing a new city when she moves to Abilene. She will always remember Millsap High School’s varsity volleyball team making the playoffs this year, the team’s first time in the playoffs in 15 years. Walker was the libero on the team, or the defensive specialist and was on the varsity team for two years. The school held a special pep rally for the girls and it was a special time for her and the entire varsity team. She said she will really miss Millsap when she goes to school in the fall, “I love the small community feel and everyone knows my name here. I feel like I’m a big part of this community.” Peaster High School Valedictorian Allyson Buchanan Parents Michelle & Jerry Buchanan GPA 102.791 Allyson is heading north to Wichita Falls where she will attend Midwestern State University only an hour and a half from home. She was so inspired by her counselor Mrs. Cosper and along with an online career test that showed a knack for counseling, so that is why she ultimately wants to be a school counselor. She will first earn a teaching degree specializing in math education. Her plan is to teach for a couple of years before moving into a counseling role. Having been homeschooled through sixth grade, she said going to Peaster, “It was interesting. It was a big wake up call, and it was hard at the beginning because I was very shy.” She settled in and served as the manager to the school’s baseball team since her sophomore year. They are in the area playoffs as of this writing, playing game two of a three game series against Pottsboro. As manager she keeps the team’s statistics and kept the team organized. She enjoys it because according to her, “The boys were always entertaining.” She’s looking forward to attending Midwestern State because of its beautiful campus and the friendly people she’s met there. “I haven’t met a single mean person there. All of the faculty has been Continued on page 23