Dee Parker awarded UNF Senior Service Award for exemplary nursing and on-campus service
The University of North Florida Alumni Association will present the Summer 2023 Senior Service Award to Dorick “Dee” Parker at commencement this Friday in recognition of her outstanding service to the University and community through volunteerism.
She will pursue a Master of Science in Nursing in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program (PMHNP) at Yale University in spring 2024. Parker will continue taking care of the Jacksonville community as a full-time registered nurse in a local intensive care unit through a new graduate residency program.
Parker is graduating from UNF’s Brooks College of Health with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During her time on campus, Parker has shown exemplary leadership and community-building skills, standing out among her peers and serving the Osprey community across multiple organizations.
She made it her duty to bring awareness to mental health and pursue this passion in her studies and volunteerism. Parker hosted and promoted “Mental Health Week” in Fall 2022 for the entire student body, initiated back-to-school supply drives, led Breast Cancer Awareness Walks and provided more than 700 hours of program-specific clinical and community service to the Jacksonville community.
Parker acquired a comprehensive nursing experience working with several leading medical facilities in Jacksonville. She conducted a summer nursing externship in Oncology at Mayo Clinic, worked as a mental health technician at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and conducted clinical rotations at Baptist Medical Center, Baptist Medical Center Behavioral Health, Brooks Rehabilitation Center, UF Health Jacksonville, Orange Park Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit.
Parker joined the Presidential Envoys in 2022 and proudly represented the University at official functions. She also held the rare distinction of serving in all three branches of Student Government, along with other leadership positions in UNF African Students Association, UNF African Caribbean Society, UNF National Panhellenic Council and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Parker also participated in the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing. She also served as a resident assistant and a campus ambassador.