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Demopolis High School senior Parker Hallmark was recently presented the Class 5A Bryant-Jordan Scholar-Athlete Scholarship.

During the Bryant-Jordan Banquet and Awards Ceremony on April 8 in Birmingham, Parker was recognized along with other top student-athletes from across the state. Hallmark has been a member of the DHS baseball team for four years and runs on the cross-country team.

As a senior, Hallmark is the DHS Class of 2019’s salutatorian with a grade point average of 4.4 and holds a 34 score on the ACT test. He plans to attend Vanderbilt University and is considering a major in neuroscience and possibly medical school.

Hallmark is the first DHS student to be awarded the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship.

“I was really shocked, but also feel very proud to be representing Demopolis in a positive way,” Hallmark said.

DHS Principal Blaine Hathcock said Hallmark is an all-around excellent student and that the award is well deserved.

“Parker is a great student who is the salutatorian of his class and was accepted into Vanderbilt. He has participated in multiple athletic events and is very active in other school organizations. Having a statewide award presented to one of our students is a tremendous honor,” Hathcock said.

Students become eligible for the award through school nomination and through an application process winners are chosen by area and then region. As a regional winner, Hallmark received $3,000 in scholarship. As the Class 5A winner, he is awarded an additional $3,500. There is only one winner from each school classification. The winners are determined by the a committee of the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program.

“I’m very thankful to my family for supporting me, as well as Coach (James) Moody, Coach (Deborah) Boykin, and Coach (Brian) Seymore. I also appreciate all of my teachers for pushing me in the classroom,” he said.

Hallmark is the son of Luke and Sarah Chandler Hallmark.

The Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program was created in 1986 by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Alabama High School Athletic Association. It is supervised by the Board of Directors of the Bryant-Jordan Foundation.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, April 24 issue of the Demopolis Times.)