When John Parcell arrived at Sinclair Community College in 2004, the music professor said he felt an instant connection.
On Nov. 19, Parcell was awarded the Ohio Professor of the Year award at a luncheon in Washington D.C sponsored by The Carnagie Foundation for the Achievement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Parcell, 40, was one of 38 professors nationwide honored at the ceremony.
Parcell said he knows how many outstanding teachers there are at Sinclair, which made the honor that much more special.
“I was humbled by the award,” Parcell said. “One never expects to win something like that.”
Different path
Growing up in Miami, Parcell said he wasn’t a very strong student during his high school days.
“I graduated high school with not the best GPA in the world,” he said. “I wasn’t exactly the most motivated student.”
At the time, Parcell spent a lot of his time behind a drum set with a rock band he and a few childhood friends had formed.
“When I was in high school, it was all about being in the band,” he said. “It was all about making music and going on tour and recording.”
After graduating high school, Parcell enrolled at Miami Dade Community College in Florida in 1987.
“I went to college as sort of a default,” he said. “I really wasn’t into it.”
During his days at Miami Dade, Parcell worked part-time in a factory fabricating aluminum frames for his father’s company, while continuing to play music on the side.
When Parcell stopped taking classes, he began to work in the factory full-time.
“I enjoyed it,” he said of the work, “but I didn’t see myself being a factory worker for the rest of my life. It just wasn’t for me.”
Parcell re-enrolled at Miami Dade and arrived with a changed attitude. He received his associate’s degree in 1992, and then transferred to Florida International University where he received his bachelor’s degree in music composition in 1996.
“I went back into music and I realized that’s what I really wanted to do,” Parcell said.
“I had some really great teachers at Miami Dade and they showed me what it meant to be a good college student.”
Parcell eventually received his master’s degree and doctorate from Stoneybrook University in New York. Parcell then spent time teaching at Suffolk County Community College in Long Island and Haverford College in Philadelphia.
Teaching at Sinclair
Parcell said his experience at Miami Dade pushed him toward Sinclair.
“When I interviewed here, I felt an instant connection to this school because of my time at Miami Dade,” Parcell said. “I have an emotional connection to this place.”
Parcell explained how easy it has been to teach his music students.
“I think they really appreciate our department and all the things that we do,” Parcell said. “The students are really grateful for Sinclair. They’ve been great to work with because they are hungry to move on and get their degree.”
Parcell has a full plate in front of him over the coming months. One of his projects is playing the role of music director for the winter production of “Antigone.” He said the position is challenging.
“You have to be flexible because you’re going to make changes,” Parcell said. “My creative process is a series of revisions. Any time I compose music, there are dozens of drafts.”
Parcell said he is also doing a composition for the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra that is scheduled to premiere in May.
Staying positive
Since Parcell went through a difficult start when he first began his college career, he has some advice for struggling students.
“Don’t give up,” he said. “Whether it starts with an associate’s or it starts with a bachelor’s, complete the degree. It will open up doors in ways you can’t imagine.”