Kathleen Parker, a Winter Haven native, has defied conventional wisdom by achieving remarkable success as a journalist without ever taking a journalism class in college. Her impressive career has spanned numerous large and small newspapers, where she has tackled a diverse range of topics, from the culinary scene in California to the excitement of bass fishing contests in the rural South.
A 1969 graduate of Winter Haven High School, Parker has gone on to become the most widely syndicated female columnist in the country. Her twice-weekly column is currently published in an astonishing 350 different newspapers, a testament to her enduring popularity and influence.
Parker's journalism career may have begun unexpectedly, but it was sparked during her pursuit of a Ph.D. in Spanish literature from Florida State University.
