Fisher Awarded William C. Parker Scholarship

Danita Fisher of Paducah is the recipient of the 2012 William C. Parker Scholarship by the Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education (KABHE).

Fisher, a West Kentucky Community and Technical College student, was presented with the $500 scholarship and certificate by Dr. Belinda Dalton-Russell, WKCTC vice president of student affairs and Alvin Moore, Southwest regional KABHE representative and WKCTC institutional research coordinator on April 25.

William C. Parker Scholarships are awarded annually based on academic achievement and community service. Recipients must be a full-time undergraduate African-American students enrolled in Kentucky institutions hosting the KABHE annual conference. They must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and demonstrate service and leadership to both the African-American community and a college or university.

“I am so honored to have been selected for this scholarship,” Fisher said. “I’m proud to serve WKCTC and my community and to be recognized for that is a wonderful feeling.”

Fisher currently serves as a WKCTC student ambassador and was the recipient of the first WKCTC student of the month honor, which began in September 2010. Last year Fisher was also named the first student of the year for the college.

In 2010-2011, Fisher served as WKCTC Student Government Association president, Kentucky Community and Technical College System(KCTCS) Board of Regent’s student representative and a participant in Governor Beshear’s Education Forum at Northern Kentucky University.

“Danita was also chosen for her continued service to the black community with projects such as Ninth Street Tabernacle Ministries’ youth leader and Zumba exercise administrator and server at Heavenly Seniors,” said Moore.Fisher’s academic success is another reason she was selected for the KABHE scholarship Moore added. She graduated from WKCTC in May 2011 with an associate degree in network administration. But she is continuing her education by working toward a second degree at WKCTC in business administration and a degree in computer information systems at Murray State University.

“Everything I do is an opportunity to give back. “It’s an awesome responsibility to know that others may be looking to the things I am doing on campus and in the community as an example,” said Fisher. “I take that responsibility seriously and it keeps pushing me forward to do more.”

The KABHE was founded in 1983 by Dr. William C. Parker, retired University of Kentucky vice chancellor of minority affairs, and other minority leaders in the Commonwealth. A continuing KABHE objective is to improve the professional status and the living and learning conditions of blacks employed at institutions of higher education throughout Kentucky.

Information submitted by WKCTC.