If you asked Charles Parrish, affectionately called “Haden” by his close friends and teachers, where he saw himself in thirty or forty years, he’d say New York City— as a matter of fact, he’d single out the United Nations building. For years, Parrish has been consumed by a passion for helping people; he so often loses himself completely in service that he forgets that many of these people can’t return his kindness. So it is no surprise that he is considering such a people-focused career.

However, before he claims a diplomatic position in the United Nations, he would like to attend the University of Virginia and become a nurse. As a freshman and sophomore at FCHS, he volunteered on both the Palmyra and Kents Store rescue squads to gain expertise in the medical field. Additionally, during the past two summers, Parrish has clocked in at a whopping 250 hours for serving as a UVA Health Care Center Junior Volunteer. On a local level, Parrish is the president of the FCHS Interact Club, which focuses on “service above self.”

English teacher Vickie Zavadsky remembers Parrish from her honors and AP classes: “He is an outstanding student— but more importantly, an outstanding person. In the time I have known him, I have seen him repeatedly give back to his community,” said Zavadsky. With his involvement in the Interact Club, Parrish has headed numerous fundraisers to support local people and programs. Last spring, for example, the group joined with participants at “Stop Hunger Now!” to package prepared food for starving families in Vietnam. At the end of the day, they had put together 13,000 meals. Interact has also worked to support the search for missing local student Alexis Murphy, delivered candy and cards to children in Charlottesville hospitals, and raised money for cancer research at this year’s Relay for Life.

Parrish admits that his goal is to be the “one thing” in someone’s day that might make it “just a little easier and a little happier.” So far, he’s brightened quite a few days with his involvement in coaching “Buddy Ball,” a baseball team for children with special needs. He and his dad have spent countless Saturday mornings practicing and playing, but Parrish says he has enjoyed every minute. He claims that his dad is his inspiration for a lot of his activities, recalling, “I’ve found that, since then, many of the things I do are similar to the things that my dad does now or things he has done in the past.”

In May of his junior year, Haden Parrish was inducted into the FCHS Beta Club, an honor society that rewards hard-working students for maintaining good grades, and also serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Despite all this, he stays humble. “I would not be able to do the things that I have done without my family, my friends, and the people in my life. I work alongside them to accomplish my goal,” said Parrish.

Indeed, when Haden Parrish finally seeks employment in the United Nations, he will have quite the resume to offer.