The city of Opelika has named longtime educator Patsy Boyd Parker its September Citizen of Excellent Character, for the month’s trait of dedication, the Opelika Observer reports.
Ward 4 Council Member Chuck Beams presented the honor. Parker graduated from J.W. Darden High School at 16, was valedictorian at Alabama State University and earned a master’s in counselor education at Auburn. She taught English and counseled at Darden and, after integration, became Opelika High School’s first Black counselor. She spent much of her career steering students toward college money they might never have found. Mayor Eddie Smith, the first in his family to attend a four-year university, credits her with getting him there.
She later worked with students at Southern Union, chaired the Opelika City Schools board, served on the Opelika Industrial Development Authority, and became the first chairwoman of the Alabama State University Board of Trustees. Patsy Boyd Parker Drive in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park has carried her name since 2023. Her advice to students, she said: “Just be the best, whatever you are.”
This is a brief follow-on summary. For the full story, read the Opelika Observer’s original report.
Source: The Opelika Observer
Opelika Daily News — Wednesday Report, Sept. 23, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
