Carolyn Parker

DCCCD Retiree, Richland College

In addition to teaching and counseling, Carolyn Parker had two other great passions at Richland College – and she turned both into scholarships through the DCCCD Foundation.

One scholarship for older women returning to college pays tribute to her early years at the college in the 1970s, when the women’s movement was in full bloom. The other honors the love she developed for ceramics as a student at Richland following her retirement.

Carolyn joined Richland’s charter staff before construction was even completed on the college in 1972, as a counselor and advisor who also taught sociology and psychology. “My best memory of those days was the camaraderie of the faculty and staff,” she said. “It was an unbelievably supportive atmosphere to work in.

“We had a campus support service called Every Woman Center, and we started a recruiting effort for older women returning to college,” she said. “Helping women who decide to return to school for better job opportunity has always been an interest of mine.” The Carolyn Parker Scholarship is available to adult women starting or returning to college.

After Carolyn retired, she began taking classes in pottery, which evolved into a much-loved hobby. “The ten-plus years I studied ceramics at Richland College so enriched my life and brought me such joy,” she said.

“I didn’t have an art background, but it’s been such fun – like discovering a hidden treasure of new experiences,” she said. The Parker Pottery Scholarship is available each semester for one student in the 16-to-34 age group and one in the 35-or-older age group.

“Sometimes a scholarship is not just about paying someone’s tuition or school costs. Recognition of a person’s talent and potential is just as important.”

Carolyn exemplified former DCCCD employees and students who gave back by creating new scholarships or supporting existing ones through the Dallas College Foundation. She passed on January 21, 2018 at the age of 79.

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“....a scholarship is not just about paying someone’s tuition. Recognition of a person’s talent and potential is just as important.”

– Carolyn Parker