Whiz Kid: Parkway Central Grad a Stand-out in Academics, Athletics and Service

Parkway Central High School graduate Alison Magruder is an accomplished athlete and scholar who even found time in her busy high school schedule to volunteer.

Alison, who was fourth in her class, is a National Merit Finalist and was chosen the school’s 2011 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete.

Her academic honors include membership in the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and the math honors club Mu Alpha Theta.  As a junior, Alison was given a Brown Book award, which is presented to high school students who combines academic excellence with outstanding skills in communication arts. The award is sponsored by the Brown University Alumni Association.

While Alison is accomplished in academics, she said she doesn’t have a favorite subject. “It would be hard to pinpoint one thing that I like best,” she said.  “I find a certain book or period in history interesting.  I enjoy learning new things and then finding the relationship between these things and what I already know.” 

Alison is also a stand-out athlete.  She participated in basketball, cross country and soccer. She was selected to the all-conference first team and all-district first team in basketball. She made the all-conference first team in soccer. She was a team captain twice in basketball and soccer.

To round out her busy life, Magruder finds time to volunteer in school and the community. She is a member of Leaders of Educational and Athletic Discipline, a group of high school athletic leaders who encourage students to support Parkway Central’s educational and athletic code of conduct. The group also sponsors substance-free events. Magruder is also involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Each year, Parkway schools hold an athletic event for special-needs children. Alison helped at the event this school year.  “I enjoyed working with (Parkway) Central’s Special Olympics. We planned the activities and then worked with special-needs kids in athletics. It was my favorite day of the year,” she said. 

This summer, she will travel to Mexico with a church group to assist women and children. “We will be going on a mission trip assigned by Lantern Hill, which is an organization that matches volunteers with needs in the community,” she said.  

Alison is headed to western Massachusetts to attend Williams College in the fall.  “Williams is a small liberal arts college of about 2,100 students,” she said.  “I’m uncertain of my major.  Maybe I’ll study economics or psychology with a concentration in Spanish.

“When I was a freshman, it seemed like high school would last forever, and now four years have already passed,” Alison said.  “It hasn’t hit me yet that I’ve graduated but I am looking forward to the college and the future.”

Alison is the daughter of Jonathan and Joan Magruder and has two younger sisters.