The Clinton Chamber of Commerce hosted its Annual Academic Awards Ceremony for CHS students May 3, at the Performing Arts Center. The event was emceed by David Lee and Adam Cummings and hundreds of students were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements this year. This was the first in-person Clinton Chamber academic achievement ceremony since 2019.
Congratulations to all the students, however one highlight of the event was the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Jimmy Barnes presented the award, and spoke about why this particular alumni was so deserving. Barnes, now a track coach, recalled the days of being a student and going to track meets out of town and not having to worry much: go, participate, head back on the bus. He said, however, once he became a coach himself, he had to worry about things he never had to worry about before: where to park the bus, will the bus fit there? How do I get all the students to McDonald’s? In other words, the logistics of taking groups of students anywhere comes with worry and extra planning. But little did Barnes know he had an ace-in-the-hole: a seasoned driver who had taken generations of students to track meets, State or otherwise, and had through long years of experience the solution to all those problems. It was a worry-reducer for a new coach.
Not only had this particular awardee drove a bus for many years, but she has also served on the School Board for the past ten years and used her experience to help guide decisions made for current and future students in other capacities. She is, as Barnes said, one of the rare examples of a selfless person.
So - congratulations to Distinguished Alumni Award winner Marilyn Parratt – CHS Class of 1965! And, by the way, she was shocked once she realized who the awardee was – another example of not thinking of herself first. A well deserved award!
