Stop. Go to the enloenews.org homepage. See all those pretty graphics? For the past two years, each and every one of them has been edited by Minty Parker. Now think back to any home football game from the past four years. Who’s standing at the very end of the stadium with the rest of the marching band, contributing to the magical Friday night lights atmosphere? Minty Parker. Who’s spinning that flag on the field during halftime of our Homecoming game? Minty Parker. Who’s helping paint that mural in the dance hallway? Minty Parker. Who’s making their fellow writers and editors tear up from laughter every other day? You guessed it, it’s Minty Parker. Minty’s impact on The Eagle’s Eye and Enloe as a whole is outstanding. So join us in celebrating what makes Minty the iconic, hilarious, wonderful person they are.
Minty’s journey at Enloe has most notably been defined by their participation in both Enloe Color Guard and Winter Guard. In the fall, you could catch Minty tirelessly practicing after school with the rest of Enloe’s marching band, perfecting their tossing and spinning of rifles and flags. As the weather gets colder, Minty can be found indoors with the Winter Guard, where they practice their technical skills and choreography with the rest of the team. Minty has been a dedicated member since their freshman year. Notably, Enloe’s Winter Guard team became state champions in 2024, Minty’s sophomore year, taking the gold at the AIA competition. The next year, Enloe was promoted to the competition Class A3 due to our team’s growth and skill. They were no doubt an integral part of this success, participating with passion and talent. During the 2026 season, Minty served as the Color Guard Captain. Their leadership helped shape the new class of Color Guard students and hone the whole team’s performance. It’s sure that Enloe’s Color Guard and Winter Guard will be forever impacted by Minty’s time with them.
Given Minty’s creativity, it’s no surprise that one of their greatest passions is art, specifically illustration. A member of the National Art Honors Society and a student in AP 2-D Art and Design, Minty spends much of their time creating art using a variety of media. One of Minty’s good friends, Elias Luna-Cezar, and a fellow artist, says he especially values the advice Minty gives him. He says, “One time they said that I’m really good at shape in my art. That made me feel really good. They give me really good feedback [regarding] drawing.” Luna-Cezar adds that this ability to productively critique art extends to their own work as well, continuing, “They’re really critical of their art in a very specific way, and I think that’s really cool.” Minty’s eye for visual design is something the entire Eagle’s Eye has witnessed for years, and it’s sure to take them far, especially as they fulfill their long-time dream of attending art school.
The throughline in everything Minty does is unrelenting passion. As Luna-Cezar puts it, “When they care about something, they really care, you can tell, they get all the way riled up for the littlest things when they care about it.” Their attention to what they enjoy and what they genuinely want from life is just one of the many reasons they’re so successful. Long-time friend Maria Cohen sees it as a trait sure to take them far in the future, saying, “It takes a lot of passion and love to pursue [art], if I had to pick one person who’s going to make it out, it’d be Minty.”
Their genuine enjoyment of what they spend their time doing shows up in their friendships, too. Luna-Cezar says, “ I remember one time over winter break I stayed on call with Minty for a long time… I think that really exemplifies how they’re committed to spending time with people, and I think that’s really cool that they wanted to be there.” Minty’s dedication as a friend is unique and treasured by everyone around them, Cohen confirms, saying, “They’re very committed to showing up for people, and I admire that a lot.” Luna-Cezar says their devotion to being genuine makes them an especially valuable person to him, saying, “It’s really good to just have someone to talk to very openly, they’re not judgmental.”
When you ask someone about Minty, there is a high chance that they’ll start giggling to themself about some great joke, snarky comment, or impeccably timed pop culture reference they remember them making. Minty has a razor-sharp wit. They imbibe every conversation with humor that is the perfect mix of ridiculous, intelligent, and just flat-out funny. As Cohen shares, “They’re just a really fun person to be around. If I need to smile or laugh and I’m like having a really bad day, I know that if I even spend fifteen minutes with them, then I’ll have a smile on my face.” Minty loves to share the things they love with the people around them, and they’ll pull a reference or story into the conversation with a perfect quip every time. “They’re just enjoyable to be around,” Cohen adds about their humor, “they’ve really added to my life in that way.” She went on to recall a time when “We were at their birthday, and they gave this hour-plus presentation on this game they really like… It was full of jokes and laughter…It was like an hour and a half, but the entire time we were laughing.” Clearly, Minty brightens the world around them every day with a laugh.
This fall, Minty will journey to Savannah, Georgia, to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design. They will be studying illustration with a focus on visual development. We are all so excited to see how you pursue your dreams, and have no doubt in our minds that you will achieve whatever you set your mind to.
Minty,
Congratulations, grad! It would be impossible for me to try to describe in full how grateful I am for your friendship and presence throughout my Enloe experience. There are simply not enough words to explain how much you mean to me and the people who are lucky enough to call you a friend. You are endlessly supportive and unbelievably hilarious. You can brighten my day just by being in it. You take nothing at face value and recognize the depth in every cultural or personal moment, yet you manage to be perfectly absurdist when said moment calls for it. You offer the world so much as an inherently gifted human being. I know that you will take your talents for art, for laughter, and for depth of understanding far. I value your advice and your conversation so much. I am going to miss you tremendously when you head off to college, but I know that Savannah will be just as lucky to have you as Enloe has been. Thank you for giggling with me in the back of class and indulging in my truly ridiculous article ideas. Who else would listen to “Last Christmas” 150 times just to write a satire article?! Thanks for putting up with me. I am always so very proud of you. You’re going to kill it in the real world, I know it for sure.
Friendship really IS magic.
Ishani
Minty!!!
It’s insane to think about how much time has passed since we were tiny baby sophomores traversing the streets of downtown Raleigh together. You’ve been a constant in my life since we met in the newspaper, and I can confidently say I don’t think I would’ve made it through High School without you. I know that sounds dramatic but the amount of times since we were 15 to now that you’ve pulled me from the brink of complete mental breakdown with just a funny line is uncountable. I don’t think you realize just how powerful your humor is. Your ability to make horribly stressful situations lighter is really amazing. I think this school gets people swept up in always worrying about the next thing. I’ve always respected your ability to stay grounded in what you want and need. I have no doubt you’ll go far because your down-to-earthness so brightly stands out, especially among people our age. Thank you for the east building sidewalk newspaper debriefs, your solidarity eye contact in our Honors Chemistry class, every graphic you’ve made pretty, every snippy read I still quote years later, and every time you’ve ever made me laugh. You once told me that you don’t care if people like you, as long as they think you’re funny. I can confidently say you are the funniest person I know, and I like you. Savanna isn’t prepared for what’s coming their way. Never forget The Eagle’s Eye is always cheering you on.
Don’t ever be a stranger,
Laura
