Parker Beverly
What is the most fundamental change you’ve experienced since your time as a first-year student?
Living through the pandemic as a college student certainly led to some fundamental changes! I’ve seen the transition from in-person learning to hybrid/online. This was something we all had to adapt to, but I think it made us better students and learners in the end.
What non-academic experience at Wake Forest was most meaningful to you?
Making films at Wake Forest has been the most meaningful experience to me. Being able to tell the stories of the people who make up this community I care so deeply about has been so rewarding. From each of these films I’ve made lasting connections and friendships. For example, Martha (’62) & Robert Adams (’61) have become my adopted North Carolina grandparents. I met Martha through my documentary on the history of women of Wake Forest and we have stayed in touch ever since. Each year since that 2022 documentary, I have gone to their home in Lexington for Easter to celebrate with their family. I don’t have any family in the area, so this “adopted” family has been such a welcome addition to my Wake Forest experience. Judy Peterson (mentioned in another answer below) is another one of these people who left an incredible impact on my life. Had I not done these films I would have likely never met these individuals who have been so influential to me.
What song or songs will always remind you of your time at Wake Forest? Why?
“Gold on the Ceiling” by the Black Keys. Hearing this after a win by the Demon Deacons will always stick on me. If I hear it anywhere it takes me back to a memorable win at the Joel!
Wake Forest’s Pro Humanitate motto is a guiding philosophy for many students and alumni. Did it have an impact on your student experience and has it influenced your plans for the future?
Pro Humanitate has played a big role in my philosophy/approach to storytelling. I have long been interested in women’s stories and uplifting their voices. In taking Pro Humanitate into consideration, I think the stories I love most try to get to the heart of a person, investigating what makes an everyday individual tick while also giving a voice to those who aren’t often heard. Whether that’s senior citizens or an athlete on the field hockey pitch, I hope to tell stories that encourage others to see the good in humanity.
What was your favorite class outside your major or minor areas of study and why did it appeal to you?
I enjoyed so many classes so it’s hard to pick just one! A non-film-related class I really loved was Dr. Harriger’s Constitutional Law course. Being able to do a deep dive into the law and truly understand the origins of various legal concepts was fascinating. The class structure itself was incredibly engaging considering we had mock Supreme Court trials. I always looked forward to making my oral argument and hopefully swaying the judges to side with my group.
Wake Forest has lots of traditions, and sometimes students create their own. Do you have a favorite Wake Forest tradition?
I’m sure many have said it, but I’ll echo the same sentiment — rolling the quad. I remember the first time I did it back in 2019 as a freshman celebrating the first football victory of the season. I distinctly recall hearing the chapel bells ringing and a “Wake Forest” chant breaking out on the quad. Since then, I have rolled the quad many more times and it never gets old.
What surprised you most about your Wake Forest experience?
How long I have stayed here! As much as I loved Wake Forest when I visited, I never imagined myself coming here for graduate school and staying here after graduation as a staff member. Going on year six and I still love my home away from home at Wake Forest and the community I have formed here.
Who most impacted your Wake Forest experience?
Professors! I would not be who I am today if I had not had so many wonderful professors at Wake Forest. There are too many to name but I’d like to give a special shout out to the Communication Department and all of the professors in the MFA program. I’d especially like to thank Thomas Southerland, who I met at the Communication Department open house one of my first days on campus. He encouraged me (even when I was still firmly on the law school track) to keep pursuing storytelling. Just this past year, he volunteered to help shoot the North Carolina pageant with me for my graduate thesis on the Ms. Senior America pageant. Professors like him are the reason I am where I am today!
What was the most rewarding experience you had as a Wake Forest student?
It’s so hard to boil down my time at Wake Forest to just one rewarding experience so I’ll sum it up with one word — community. Throughout my time here, I have gained adopted grandmothers, lifelong friends, and valued colleagues. Perhaps the most rewarding of these was my friendship with Judy Peterson (’60). I met Judy in 2021 when I was seeking interviewees for a documentary on the Wake Forest dance ban. From that first interview, we became the best of friends. Despite the generational divide, we shared a love of all things Wake Forest. Each day she would send me the newest edition of the “Deacon Sports Xtra” and we would conclude each day with a nightly text detailing our day’s events. In 2022, Judy was a prominent voice in my first feature-length documentary detailing the history of women at Wake Forest. Throughout the years, we remained in touch. Sadly, in October 2022 Judy passed away. Despite not always feeling her best due to the medical issues she was fighting, she always looked on the bright side and supported her Deacs no matter what. At graduation in 2023, it was my honor to wear her 1960 class ring. I’ll do it again this May as I become a Double Deac.
Imagine you return to campus for your 10-year reunion. What do you hope will remain the same? What do you hope will be different?
The Wake Forest campus is so beautiful and I hope when I return for my 10-year reunion it will still have the same natural beauty that it does today. I love the green spaces and great places to go for walks. It’s something that struck me when I first visited campus on a college tour and I still appreciate it today.
Now that you are a graduating student, what advice do you wish you could have given yourself as an incoming student four years ago?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Looking back, I don’t necessarily think I was afraid to try new things but I certainly came in with a pretty strong opinion about where I was headed after graduation. If I hadn’t stepped outside of my comfort zone, I would never be where I am today. So, don’t be afraid to push yourself and do something different!
Compare your career plans as a first-year student with your career plans now. Why did your plans change or not change?
My plans definitely evolved during my time at Wake Forest. I came in thinking I would be heading to law school after graduation. Instead, I’m finishing up my MFA in Documentary Filmmaking. Had I not had encouraging professors at Wake Forest, I likely never would have seen film and storytelling as a viable career. They encouraged me to consider my options but also to not lose sight of something I loved so much.