Selinsgrove High School senior chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate

Marcia Moore, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Jan. 28—SELINSGROVE — Selinsgrove Area High School senior McKenna Parker is a candidate for the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars program.

Teacher Tracy Hepner nominated Parker for the prestigious program, which accepts up to 161 students nationwide in the program each year. Last year, three candidates from Pennsylvania were selected to participate. The program was established in 1964.

"She's just an outstanding student, not only in science, technology and computers, but business," Hepner said of Parker who received a nearly perfect score of 1590 on the SAT. "Her math skills are exceptional."

Parker is one of 198 Pennsylvania students named by the U.S. Department of Education as a scholar candidate this year.

"It's very validating to see my hard work pay off," she said. Parker is the daughter of Scott and Renee Parker, of Kratzerville.

She hopes the honor will help in her aim to be accepted at MIT, where she would like to study computer engineering.

"I really don't have a second choice," said Parker, who was among 20 young women selected to attend MIT's Women's Technology program last summer and received a deferral by the university for her early admission application.

Her interest in engineering was piqued in elementary school and she's pursued her academic goals ever since, taking AP and college courses at Susquehanna University and serving as president of the Future Business Leaders of America and Technology Student Association.

Parker also spends part of her school day exposing younger students to STEM subjects.

"From a young age I've been interested in video game design," she said of wanting to inspire others in a similar way.

Hepner described Parker as motivated, noting that she participated in a non-mandatory science fair recently at the Bloomsburg Children's Museum and finished in first place.

In nominating the 168 Pennsylvania students for the scholars program, state Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin said, "I am incredibly proud of these students for the hard work and dedication they put into their studies and for going above and beyond in community service, displaying outstanding leadership skills and doing their part to make the commonwealth a better place for all Pennsylvanians."