Carlisle School Board member Adam Ellis and longtime school and community volunteer Amy Highfill Parker have been named the Carlisle High School Alumni Association’s honorary alumni for 2026. They will be honored during Alumni Homecoming activities Oct. 9-10.
Ellis is a graduate of Clarendon High School but has become an active supporter of Carlisle schools and the community, according to the association. His son, Jackson, graduated from Carlisle High School earlier this year, while his daughter, Adaley, is on track to graduate in 2029.
In nominating Ellis for the honor, association members cited his involvement in school activities, support for students and teachers and service on the Carlisle School District Board of Education.
“Although he has every reason to support his own children, he consistently shows up for all students, attending athletic events, school activities, and community celebrations with genuine enthusiasm,” the association said in an announcement.
The association also noted Ellis’ support for educators, saying that as a member of a family of educators, he understands the importance of investing in teachers. He has welcomed staff members during back-to-school professional development and sent messages of encouragement to employees during the school year, the association said.
Ellis has also served as a substitute public address announcer for Carlisle football games and other sporting events, earning recognition as one of the “voices of the Bison.”
“Mr. Ellis leads with humility, generosity, and a true servant’s heart,” the association said. “His unwavering support of our students, staff, and community makes him an outstanding candidate for Honorary Alumni recognition.”
Ellis told the association that Carlisle has been an outstanding community in which to raise his children.
“Our neighbors are our family, and it is a tremendous honor to be counted among its distinguished alumni,” Ellis said. “To the Association and to our small town, I am For You, I adore You, Dear Old Carlisle!”
Amy Highfill Parker is a 1993 graduate of Cabot High School and is married to Carlisle alumnus Ashley Parker, a member of the Class of 1992. Their two sons attend Carlisle schools. Christian is a senior and participates in the Carlisle Bison Band and FCCLA, while Rhett is an eighth grader who plays junior high basketball and is a member of FFA.
After high school, Parker earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in accounting and later passed the certified public accountant examination, according to the alumni association.
She began her career with Arkansas Legislative Audit, where co-workers arranged a blind date for her with Ashley Parker. They married two years later and lived in Cabot and Nashville, Arkansas, before settling in Carlisle.
Parker later began working as a part-time assistant bookkeeper for the Carlisle School District. The association said she has also been extensively involved with the Carlisle PTS, Carlisle Band Boosters and Carlisle Futuristic League.
An alumni association member who nominated Parker described her as one of the hardest-working women in Carlisle, citing her volunteer work at school book fairs, the football concession stand, Play Day and class parties, as well as her involvement with the Futuristic League and her church.
“She loves to quietly serve wherever there is a need and loves our town very much,” the association member said.
Parker told the association she was “beyond honored” to be selected as an honorary alumna.
“I love that my children are attending a small school because I know their classmates and their teachers,” Parker said. “Carlisle is a tight-knit community where people care about each other and look out for each other. I have met some really great people who have become life-long friends.”
The Carlisle High School Alumni Association established its Honorary Alumni program in 2001 to recognize people who did not attend Carlisle schools but have made what the association considers a significant and lasting impact on students, schools and the community.
