Parsons named volunteer of the year

By Andrew Chang ’26

Emily Parsons P ’21, ’22, ’26, director of experiential education at Mercersburg Academy, was named Volunteer of the Year by the Tuscarora Area Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 22. A longtime Mercersburg resident and daughter of alumnus Sonny Parsons ’59, Parsons has dedicated her career to enriching the lives of students and fostering community engagement.

“It’s very humbling to receive this award, but I also feel like it belongs to our students,” Parsons said. “Their enthusiasm and commitment to community involvement makes everything possible. »

Parsons is instrumental in developing Mercersburg’s Experiential Education program, also known as “ExEd,” and leading the Community Engagement for All initiative. This aims to integrate community service into students’ daily performance group activities (PGA). “We work to integrate all of our students into the community through their PGAs,” she explained. “I was pleased with the willingness of our PGA leadership to set aside time to engage with the community.”

As director of experiential education, Parsons oversees community engagement, global programs, internships and Model UN. She emphasizes her goal: to connect classroom learning to real-world experiences. “By leaving the classroom, we hope students can understand the world they are entering,” she said.

A member of the Academy community for more than 24 years, Parsons has made numerous contributions to Mercersburg. She previously served as dean of the Fowle Hall dormitory and was the first director of Springboard, one of the school’s two core offerings, teaching the course “The Global Food Chain” for its first four years. She holds the Marilyn and Robert M. Kurtz ’52 Chair for American Studies and received the 2011-2012 Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies. Recently, she completed a second master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Shippensburg University.

“I am deeply grateful to our students and everyone who has helped build our program over the years,” Parsons said.

Pictured: Several students were on hand to see Emily Parsons, third from right, accept the Volunteer of the Year award at a dinner Tuesday evening.