Excelling as a student is much more than receiving good grades. For Cheyenne Parson, excelling means to go above and beyond the call of homework and tests, and to win in other areas. Parsons, a senior at McCluer North High School (MNHS) has received the Embracing the Dream – Drum Major Scholarship from Christian Northeast Hospital, participated as team captain for MNHS’ soccer team, and performed with the Silver Strings honors orchestra for all four years; all while taking many honors and advanced placement courses and maintaining a 4.59 GPA.

“Time management has been the skill that I’ve had to learn to maintain my GPA,” said Parson. “It’s also easy to get distracted with technology. If I’m not careful, then my phone can easily take up so much of my time so that I’m not productive.”

With the number of hats Parson wears, time management is a crucial aspect in her student career, but with the bright future that’s ahead of Parson, she’ll be thankful that she honed such a vital skill early.

“After graduation, I’ll be attending Washington University in St. Louis,” Parson said. “I plan on pursuing a career in medicine. I’d love to be a physician or an occupational therapist.”

Through all of her endeavors, she still has a passion to give back to the community, and being a part of opportunities that will not only strengthen her, but strengthen the communities, the cities, and the world which we reside.

“Getting involved in opportunities outside of schoolwork is very important because it helps people become more well-rounded and it helps people find and pursue their interests,” Parson said. “If you don’t get out and try things, you’ll never know what talents you have and what you might like. It’s also really good to involved yourself in the community to make a better environment for everyone.”

Parson is one of the many outstanding examples of what success looks like at Ferguson-Florissant School District.