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Commitment<br />
To Students<br />
Patricia Parrish Relies on Experience,<br />
Data to Help Faculty Meet Students’ Needs<br />
Dr. Patricia Parrish’s career and path to Lindsey Wilson<br />
College have been marked by two characteristics: her<br />
openness to opportunity and her unyielding<br />
commitment to serving students.<br />
Parrish began work at Lindsey Wilson<br />
College on July 1 as the college’s new<br />
vice president for academic affairs. She<br />
comes to LWC from St. Leo (Fla.) University,<br />
where she was assistant vice<br />
president of academic affairs and a professor<br />
of education.<br />
Parrish’s work in special education<br />
and her extensive service on education<br />
committees paint a picture of someone<br />
who lives for making a difference in students’<br />
lives. When she began her educational<br />
journey in the early 1980s at<br />
Michigan State University, she discovered<br />
a passion for serving students with<br />
unique challenges.<br />
“As a freshman at Michigan State, I volunteered at the<br />
Michigan School for the Deaf,” she said. “It wasn’t something<br />
I had even considered before college, but because of<br />
“<br />
It’s about service and the<br />
students come first. I’ve<br />
been overwhelmed by the<br />
warmth of the LWC<br />
community and the total<br />
commitment to students.<br />
I’m very excited to be able<br />
to contribute to that and<br />
becoming a part of this<br />
team is so rewarding.<br />
Dr. Patricia Parrish,<br />
Vice President for<br />
Academic Affairs<br />
that opportunity I found my career path.”<br />
Parrish was inspired by the volunteer work her freshman<br />
year and eventually transferred to<br />
Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.,<br />
where she received a bachelor’s degree in<br />
elementary education and Deaf education.<br />
Parrish applied those skills to public education<br />
and had an immediate impact.<br />
“It felt good to be able to make a difference,”<br />
said Parrish. “I taught children<br />
with significant disabilities so the classes<br />
were small.”<br />
After several years of teaching, getting<br />
married and starting a family, Parrish<br />
earned a master’s in education, specializing<br />
in students with behavioral and emotional<br />
disturbances, from the University<br />
of South Florida-Tampa. While working<br />
on her master’s, a mentor encouraged her<br />
to continue her education by seeking a doctorate.<br />
“When I was in graduate school, one of my professors<br />
started talking with me about going on to earn a Ph.D., and<br />
I honestly didn’t think I was ready for that,” said Parrish.<br />
18 | LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE | <strong>CORNERSTONE</strong>