Las Vegas shooting victim: Jennifer Parks, Palmdale, California
Walking into Jennifer Parks’ kindergarten classroom, it was easy to tell the Palmdale, California, teacher cared about her pupils.
Students’ handiwork decorated her walls. The teacher kept supplies neatly organized. Her ambitious spirit lit up the room.
Parks was a little more than a month into her third year of teaching when she was shot and killed Sunday in the attack on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, Westside Union School District Superintendent Regina Rossall said.
“She was a spark plug for sure,” Rossal said. “She’s one of those kind of people you meet her and she is so enthusiastic about everything she is doing. Teaching is one of those things she was cut out to do.”
Rossall recruited Parks to teach at Anaverde Hills School in Palmdale after teaching her in a graduate level course at Brandman University in Irvine.
Parks, 36, received a master’s degree in education in May, Rossall said. In addition to teaching she coached the volleyball team for the K-8 private school.
Parks was an ambitious educator who sought to teach each of her students to read before they graduated kindergarten, Rossall said.
“She is one of those people that wanted her kids to know each and every one of them were amazing, capable young people,” Rossall said. “The kids loved learning from her, you could tell it.”
Parks was married and had two children, Rossall said.
Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477- 3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.
Victims