The words “Dallas Parker” may not be a household word, yet. Odds are good that they will.  Confident and well-spoken, Dallas Parker entered Cristo Rey as a fourteen-year-old and graduated as the class Valedictorian with a ticket to the prestigious University of Missouri – School of Journalism. Over the last four years at Mizzou, Dallas has honed her skills as a broadcast journalist on television and radio and graduates this May.

Dallas was a natural choice to speak to the more than 1,000 guests at Cristo Rey’s Dancing with the Kansas City Stars in April. As a first-generation college graduate, she had more than something to say.

Parker told event guests, “My dream is to become a television reporter or radio personality. Cristo Rey gave me the drive and motivation to push through. And, although I’m almost crawling to the finish line as we speak --- I know that Cristo Rey is rooting for me,” she said.

“Attending Cristo Rey was my choice, and I am proud to say, that I made one of the best decisions of my life,” said Parker.

While Dallas Parker would never be in the ‘failure to launch’ category, she observed, “There are many schools in Kansas City that don’t inspire growth. On top of that, many kids don’t even have a stable home. The last thing a student should have to worry about is whether or not they’re going to have a productive school day,” she said.

Parker commended the dedication of her teachers, “The staff at Cristo Rey Kansas City do whatever it takes so that students can focus solely on education. As an alum, I know that they still care about me and my future and have gone to great lengths to maintain a strong relationship,” she said.

“I met some amazing people during my high school years,” said Parker. “I had some awesome teachers too! People that pushed me. Folks that would never take it easy on me, even when I may have had every mediocre excuse in the world. At Cristo Rey I became a better student, but most importantly, a better person,” she said.

Reflecting on her path to and through college, Parker pointed to her high school experience as a time of exploration. She stated that the school environment allowed her explore her path in life – academically, professionally and spiritually. She observed that the atmosphere incubates youth into the leaders and professionals of tomorrow.