EMPIRE

Shaila Parker
2024 Recipient
 

A 2024 graduate with Honors and Distinction from Booker T Washington High School of the Performing and Visual Arts. She was in the dance conservatory and is also a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. 

Dance is Shaila’s passion. She started dancing at the age of 4 in the Precious Lambs dance ministry at Concord Baptist Church in Dallas. From there Shaila went on to take classes in school at Fellowship Christian Academy at Oak Cliff Bible fellowship, Dallas Black Dance Academy, and Heritage School of Classical Ballet. 

Shaila has spent lots of time during her high school career performing and being in service to others. She performed at various community events like the Harambe Festival at the MLK center and City of Dallas Fall Festivals. Her first job was traveling to city of Dallas recreation centers demonstrating Jamaican dance for children. Shaila has volunteered for a few organizations like Vogel Alcove, an organization that provides services to children and families experiencing homelessness, and Daughters of Destiny OES #210 and the Love Alliance, an organization who serves women and children in need.  Shaila accomplished all this and held down a part time job as a server at Flower Child Restaurant. 

Shaila Parker will be attending Alabama State University in the fall as a dance major. Her plans are to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and then apply for the Physical or Occupational Therapy program. In the distant future she plans to open her own practice to geared toward serving dancers and athletes who are injured.

Due to Private Training with TKP EMPIRE, Shaila made Alabama State University's Honey Beez Dance Team!