Retired Navy Captain Stacy Prescott was inducted into the Park Hill School District Alumni Hall of Fame at a district ceremony, where she credited Park Hill teachers and programs with setting the foundation for a 31‑year career in the U.S. Navy.

Prescott told the audience she first decided she wanted to be an astronaut after the Challenger disaster and later found a pathway through military aviation. "I am deeply honored and extremely humbled to be inducted into the Park Hill Hall of Fame and very happy to be back here at Park Hill to celebrate with the Park Hill community," Prescott said.

Prescott said she grew up in the Park Hill School District, played oboe in the music department at Park Hill High School, joined the flag corps for marching band activities and participated in the district's natural helpers program, which she said taught her listening and communication skills. She graduated from high school June 1, 1993, and reported to the U.S. Naval Academy on July 1, 1993. She graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering and a focus on astronautics.

After flight training that included airplane and helicopter instruction, Prescott was designated a naval aviator and completed two overseas operational deployments, including service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She received an Air Medal for strike and flight operations, the ceremony program said. Later in her career she was selected for the foreign area officer community, studied at the Naval Postgraduate School and trained in Mandarin at the Defense Language Institute. Assignments cited in remarks included Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia, followed by a return to the United States as a senior service advisor working with defense attache offices across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Prescott said she returned to Park Hill earlier this year to serve as the keynote speaker for the Trojans Veterans Day assembly. After retiring from the Navy this past June, she moved to Oregon and is enrolled in graduate school, studying for a master's degree in wine business leadership.

Speaking to students, Prescott encouraged continued learning and experimentation with careers: "What do I want to be when I grow up? And that is a beautiful thing as it's never too late to try something new or to pursue a new path," she said, urging students to take advantage of opportunities at Park Hill. The program organizers thanked Prescott for her service and welcomed her into the district's alumni hall of fame.

District staff who introduced or nominated Prescott were identified in program remarks as Dr. Kimbrell and Dr. Kinslow; Prescott thanked both during her remarks.