Junior Haleigh Carr rushes into Dr. Shardy’s room panting from the three flight of stairs she had to climb. With a box of a dozen donuts in hand ready to start the morning, Carr leads BASIC, a Christian devotional club. Despite the earliness of the morning, she loves to start the day with a prayer.
“It can be a struggle to live up to every ones standards and expectations because I want to be a positive influence to everyone around me,” Carr said. “But I can’t help but feel blessed to live a beautiful Christ-like life with such a wonderful family.”
Carr’s father, Mark Carr, serves as the pastor of Arlington Community Church. He helps council the church community and serves as a model figure.
“He can be strict, but I am so lucky that I’m blessed with such an amazing father,” Carr said. “It’s inspiring to see him so dedicated to the church and his family.”
Carr’s dad has rules about what she wears and the people she surrounds herself with.
“It can be hard trying to meet the expectations of a pastor’s daughter,” Carr said. “But I like that it challenges me to become a better role model for my friends and family.”
Carr shares her father’s values, looks to him for advice and values him as a role model.
“I know that some pastors are so focused on the church that they neglect their children, but my dad is the exact opposite,” Carr said. “He makes it a priority to make he’s there for his family and children, and we’re extremely grateful.”
Carr likes to surround herself around a good group of friends. Carr tries to stay positive in every aspect. She knows giving her friends a positive influence would be something healthy her friends to look to.
“I love hanging out with her,” junior Savannah St. John said. “The atmosphere is so different from any of my other friends and being with her makes me feel so blessed to have her as my best friend.”
Carr enjoys looking up to her father and enjoys the positive aspects of being a pastor’s daughter. Carr plans to go into nursing while carrying out their same values later in her life by teaching her own children the life lessons passed on to her.
“I’m excited to carry out our values in my life,” Carr said. “It’s important to put yourself second and others first.”