Dr. Tara Parker to become JPII College Admissions Advisor on July 1, 2021

John Paul II Catholic High School is excited to announce the addition of Tara Parker, Ed.D. as college admissions advisor effective July 1, 2021. Dr. Parker is the owner and college admissions consultant at Premier College Prep Consulting, LLC. She has spent the last 15 years working as a school administrator (nine of those with high school students) as a principal, assistant principal, testing coordinator, and coordinator for a high school workforce development program. Throughout these positions, Dr. Parker worked with thousands of high school students in the areas of course guidance, graduation requirements, preparing for college, college applications, college essays, interview preparation, and final college selection. She also has extensive knowledge of athletics and the NCAA eligibility process.

Parker focused on school choice in Pitt County for her dissertation research topic when earning her doctorate in educational leadership from North Carolina State University. She received two master’s (school administration and science education) and her bachelor’s in exercise and sports science from East Carolina University. She holds licenses in the state of North Carolina for superintendent, principal, curriculum instructional specialist, and 9-12 science and physical education teacher. Parker is a member of the ECU College of Education Hall of Fame and received the 2015 Most Outstanding Dissertation Award from the NC State Department of Educational Leadership.

​When she is not working with clients, Dr. Parker enjoys spending time with her husband and three teenage children who are very active in travel baseball and volleyball. She is a member of the East Carolina University Alumni Association Board of Directors and the East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club Executive Board.