ATHENS, Ga. --- It should come as no surprise that someone who values his University of Georgia diploma as much as -- if not more than -- his Purple Heart and Bronze Star would be recognized as a top-drawer alumnus.
Griffin native Scott Parker, a U.S. Army reservist who earned his diploma in 2006 between tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, recently was honored by Bank of America in its "My Expression Search for Alumni Passion" contest.
Mr. Parker wrote a 100-word essay detailing his devotion to country and university to pick up the prize, which included a $500 cash award and a $10,000 donation -- in his name -- to the UGA Alumni Association.
"Nothing was going to stop me from getting my degree," says Mr. Parker, 27, who in early January will return to Fort Rucker, Ala., for continued training at Warrant Officer Candidate School. "I had to get it while I was juggling all these tours."
Mr. Parker was determined to earn his bachelor's degree to fulfill his late father's wishes, and he wanted to earn that sheepskin from Georgia, the college he'd dreamed of attending.
"My father died about three months before I graduated from high school," Mr. Parker said of the late Jerry Parker, whose military career included a tour in Vietnam. "My father wanted me to go to college, not into the military. I was the first person in my family to go to college. I was just an average student, but I always wanted to go to Georgia."
Realizing he'd "need an edge" for his future career, he joined the Army Reserves after his first year at Georgia and temporarily suspended the pursuit of his education when he left school in spring 2003 for basic training. He went into psychological operations, a division of special forces, and after a year of training was deployed for a 15-month tour of Iraq.
Mr. Parker earned the Purple Heart in Iraq when a vehicle he was driving was hit with a roadside bomb. He suffered an injured shoulder, ribs and collarbone, and was wounded by shrapnel in his left leg. He remained in a hospital for more than a month before returning to his team.
As soon as his Iraqi deployment was completed, Mr. Parker hustled back to UGA to complete his degree.
The day after his graduation in 2006, he returned to military life and was soon in Afghanistan, where he remained until February 2008, and where he earned the Bronze Star for his meritorious service as a team leader in two combat engagements.
"I've always wanted a college degree and not even a war could stop me from getting it," he says. "I hold my degree to the highest standard and it means as much to me as the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. (Earning the Bronze Star and Purple Heart) happened by chance, and I'm glad to say I did it, but graduating from college was a huge achievement."
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