After 30 dedicated years, English teacher Georgia Parker is retiring. Hired in 1994, Parker has been working at Trinity Prep for three decades, inspiring students’ love of literature throughout our community and beyond. Parker did not always know she was going to be a teacher, initially believing she was going to work in journalism. However, fate ultimately led her to the profession that she would end up spending her life devoted to.
“A job opening came up at a private school in Louisiana, where I was living at the time,” Parker said. “I applied on a whim, like maybe I’ll go check this out and see what it’s about. By the time I left the interview, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I really want this job.’ And I got it. It was the best thing that ever happened. It was one of those things where God definitely intervenes.”
It’s full circle that Parker is ending her teaching career by moving back to Louisiana to be with her family. Although, Louisiana is not where her love of words first began. She recalls that some of her first memories of books took place in Houston, Texas, where she frequently visited the public library as a child.
“I remember back in elementary school, we always went to the public library,” Parker said. “They would only let us check out 10 books every two weeks. So I would check out 10 books, and before the week was over, I was ready to turn them back in and get 10 more.”
Parker’s love of books has endured throughout her life, leading her to her English degree and career. Even now, after teaching English classes for 30 years, she still can’t choose a favorite book.
“My favorite book? That’s an impossible question,” Parker said. “I have favorites for all different reasons. I have my favorite book to teach, my favorite adult book, my favorite biography, my favorite autobiography and my favorite historical fiction. I have different books that were my favorites at different times in my life. You know when you’ll hear a song and it will remind you of a certain time, like a summer or a trip that you took? I feel that way about books.”
Parker has shared her love of books not only with her own students, but with the greater reading community. One of her greatest accomplishments is founding Trinity’s annual Author Fest, which had its ninth anniversary this year. Inspired by Y’all Fest, a book festival in Charleston, Parker opened campus to 11 authors in an event attended and adored by many in the Winter Parker community in 2016. The event has grown significantly since then, and in recent years, Author Fest has hosted over 20 authors and over 10,000 participants in person and online, attending from several states and countries.
“It started as trying to do a mini Y’all Fest on our campus and then to reach not only our students, but the community, so that other people who love books and authors and reading can come and interact with the authors,” Parker said.
Although Author Fest is an incredible achievement that will live on long after Parker has moved on, she says her proudest accomplishment is the graduation of her four daughters, who all attended Trinity, one of which is current English teacher and JV softball coach Hannah Schuttler. But it’s not solely due to her family connection and her Author Fest legacy that she will always be a part of the Trinity community.
“My favorite part of this school is the traditions and the continuation of the Trinity family,” Parker said. “We talk about that, but it truly does exist.”
Parker reflects on her time here with fondness and gratefulness, reminiscing on what a special experience Trinity is for both students and faculty.
“It is very unique,” Parker said. “I think the fact that I’ve been here for 30 years — if it weren’t unique and special and wonderful, it would have just been a job. But it has never been a job. It’s always been about the kids and about being here and the experience. Definitely not a job.”
