Parkville Girls soccer player Korionna “Kori” Skinner was a third-place winner of a $5,000 Charles Perry McCormick Scholarship as part of the 80th the McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards on Monday night.
Coach Emily Wolf has coached Skinner for four years and said she is a true role model for her peers both on the field and in the classroom.
“Academically, Kori excels and is in the top 10 percent of Parkville’s graduating class. She participates in our magnet program as well as our AVID program. Electing to meet the requirements of both of these programs is a testament to Kori’s dedication to her education and desire to be the best version of herself,” Wolf said.
“Kori has even opted to take two of her graduation requirements at the college level in order to maintain space in her schedule to take all of the courses that she was interested in here at Parkville. After high school, Kori plans to pursue a degree in political science and pre-law.”
Wolf added that Skinner was born with albinism which had an impact on the senior’s vision.
“Not only was she learning and developing in her sport(s), but she also had to figure out how to accommodate the limitations of her eyesight. Never did Kori use this obstacle as an excuse to not work hard or keep trying to improve,” Wolf said.
“She also never complained about this disadvantage and would often advocate for her abilities.”
Skinner was also described as someone with a positive attitude and as a teammate that encourages others. She is one of the last athletes to leave the field. That included waiting for teammates to finish up running laps after practice.
“The mark of an unsung hero is someone who is willing to do things that no one else wants to do. And the last thing teenage athletes want to do after a tough practice or a long bus ride is to put away equipment<" Wolf said. "As trivial as equipment duties may seem, I believe it truly represents Kori’s character that she would always volunteer to help and even pick up her teammates’ slack to make sure that the task was done. Not only did Kori care about helping her teammates, she cared about helping her coaches as well."
