The Sedalia Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce that Sedalia Parks & Recreation Aquatic Supervisor, Clara Scott was awarded the Missouri Parks and Recreation Outstanding Young Aquatic Professional of the Year at the MPRA Conference.

Clara Scott began working as a lifeguard at the age of 15 for her hometown parks and recreation department of Odessa and hasn’t left the Aquatic field since then, even while in college majoring in Physical Education and playing golf.

Through her college days she worked for Columbia Parks and Recreation at their indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities as a lifeguard and eventually a pool manager. When she graduated from William Woods she took a PE position at a local elementary school, giving her the opportunity to still work in the summer for Columbia Parks & Recreation.

Through some great mentors in Columbia Parks & Rec she began to realize that she could purse a full-time career in the parks and recreation field of Aquatics. She decided to put teaching behind her and pursue her true passion of Aquatics where she was hired as a Full-time Aquatic/Wellness Supervisor with Sedalia Parks and Recreation.  Since being hired Clara hasn’t slowed down, she has received both her CPO & AFO certifications along with her Star Guard and Red Cross Instructor certification.

Clara is a huge asset to our field, full of creative aquatic programming events for all age levels to enjoy. She brings strong leadership and professionalism with a joy of fun to all employees while striving to influence staff that Parks and Recreation is something you can go to college for and have a career in, something she wished she knew earlier in life.

--Submitted

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