“Family is not who you’re related to. Family is who shows up when you need them most,” said Brandon Bowman, 18, the inaugural recipient of the Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Leadership Award, for both Texas and Arkansas. When Brandon and his sisters were taken in by the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope in Texarkana, they were carrying the weight of circumstances no children should have to navigate. What was to come, however, became a testament to the power of community. The people Brandon met through the Salvation Army became far more than staff members or volunteers. They became role models, and, in many ways, they became family.

Jes Weiner of Magic Hat Muralist is the artist behind nine public murals in Texarkana, including the frequently-photographed Texarkana balloons piece, the geometric TXK logo downtown, and the wildflowers on the South State Line Avenue/3rd Street underpasses. Though born, raised, and beloved in Texarkana, she is very active in other parts of Texas and Arkansas, as well as throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. To date, she’s done over 100 murals across the states.

Heath Lotz, a native of Texarkana and graduate of Arkansas High School, enlisted in the Army in 1996. Thirty years later, he has achieved the rank of chief warrant officer 5—the highest warrant officer rank, held by fewer than .003% of active-duty service members; CW5s are jokingly known as “unicorns” among service members. 

In 1955, a Kansas teenager named Marlene Penney walked into a jewelry store and applied for a sales job. That fateful decision was the first in a series of decisions that led to the establishment of Alexander’s Jewelers, a Texarkana legacy brand currently run by three generations of Alexander men. While brothers Van and David now co-own the store, founder Jerry, at 88, continues to work, serving as a mentor to Van’s son, Mitch. The Alexander family’s venture into the jewelry business began almost 70 years ago, when Jerry met Marlene, his bride-to-be.

Respected, community-minded, and deeply accomplished are only a few of the words used to describe Dr. Denzer Burke. Over the course of his 93 years, the dentist and civic servant has made countless contributions to the Texarkana community. Recently featured in the Texas Dental Journal for several decades of membership with the Texas Dental Association, Denzer will celebrate 64 years with the organization this August. However, dentistry represents only one chapter in a long life shaped by military service, civic leadership, faith, and advocacy. 

Born in 1951 and raised in Texarkana, Kusin credits much of his success to the strong sense of community that shaped his early years. A 1969 graduate of Texas High School, he remembers a hometown where parents, teachers, churches, and neighbors all worked together to guide young people and encourage them to succeed.

A proud Texarkana native, Mark Bledsoe has dedicated much of his adult life to strengthening the community that raised him. When Mark was young, his father suffered a serious health scare and was laid off from work. Like many families facing hardship, they leaned on community programs and local support systems to help them get through.

“I wish I had that much energy” is a phrase we’ve all heard an adult say while watching an energetic child running around in circles. While work routines, aging, and mundane adult tasks can definitely take a toll on our energy levels, we may be taking for granted that lethargy is the norm. This month, let’s dive deeper into how food and other typical American lifestyle habits are not optimizing our energy levels.

Craig Campbell, professional mixed martial artist and owner of Texarkana Combat Sports, grew up in a family shaped by military service: both of his grandfathers and his father were ranking members in the military (one grandfather even participated in Operation Red Dawn, which led to the capture of Sadam Hussein). In Craig’s family, discipline was a key part of everyday life. He grew up surrounded by structure, resilience, and a drive to excel.

Rattan furniture. Patterned curtains. Fine china on display. An increasing number of folks are moving far, far away from stark minimalism and shifting into a new trend, dubbed “grandmillennial style.” This fresh design term was coined by Emma Bazilian in her 2019 article for House Beautiful. Also known as “granny-chic,” this style reinterprets vintage design trends and merges them with modern aesthetics. Floral prints, ruffles, and antiques are given a modern, fresh styling for an interior design trend that is sure to stay.

Nothing makes you feel like a museum exhibit faster than teaching teenagers how to use a rotary phone. They were clueless—but not as if they thought it was a fictional piece of steampunk cosplay technology, mind you (well, at least most of them: “I had a toy phone like that when I was a baby,” one of them said. “I had no idea they were real!”).

From age 10 to 18, Amy Meadows served as the unpaid pianist for her small church in De Kalb, Texas—an early start that foreshadowed the career she would inhabit as an adult. She has been on staff at First United Methodist Church for 21 years, not only playing the piano but also working with the children’s choir, adult choir, and praise band. “Offering music in worship provides an outlet for me to use my gifts for God’s glory,” she said.

In her circles, Angela Warren is known for her service to others. She is a volunteer with Las Amigas Social & Civic Club, Top Ladies of Distinction Inc., and the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., Beta Rho Chapter. “Whether it’s helping with programs, events, or outreach, I enjoy contributing to work that positively impacts students and families,” she said. “I like being present and supporting the efforts of others in the community.”

Though she now works with adult students, Kadie Allen began her career in early childhood education. In particular, her experience as a special education teacher helped her realize her passion for nontraditional or atypical learners.

In 2017, Karen Rayfield was ministering at Church Under the Bridge when she met a young woman in desperate need of housing. Karen reached out to her friend Dorothy Ware, who had access to a residential space where the young woman could live temporarily. From that day on, Grace House was born. 

Grace House is a Christian transitional home for mothers and expectant mothers ages 17–27 who have been displaced, are homeless, or are at-risk for homelessness. The one-year program, which is associated with Church on the Rock, includes regular church attendance and Bible study, as well as counseling and practical support.

For the past nine years, Principal Kim Cody has led Redwater Junior High with dedication and gratitude. A seasoned educator of 42 years, she spent 28 years teaching high school math in New Boston and Foreman before transitioning to administration.

“I could not talk about my career in education without mentioning Ms. Anita Baker,” Kim said. “She was instrumental in my decision to become a math teacher. Math wasn’t always my strongest subject, but she made it fun and approachable. She showed me that teaching isn’t just about the subject; it’s about loving students for who they are and meeting them where they are. Through her, I learned not only to love math, but also to love my students fully.”

Approaching four years of sobriety, Memorie Gilliam can hardly believe the life she has built for herself.

“I absolutely never dreamed of the life that I have today,” she said. Two years ago, she landed a full-time sales job in the oil and gas industry—“a very demanding job, but I love it,” she said. One year later, in September 2025, she was married, gaining not only a husband but also a fourth child.

Dr. Loren Robinson moved to Texarkana in September 2019 after accepting a job offer from CHRISTUS St. Michael—as their vice president of medical affairs. Six months later, the COVID-19 pandemic tested her mettle.

“I worked with an incredible interdisciplinary team throughout the pandemic here in Texarkana,” Loren said. She was tasked with establishing the hospital as one of the first vaccine hubs in the area. Beginning in December 2020, healthcare professionals and others eligible for first-round vaccination received the Moderna formulation. Loren led this initiative while pregnant with her second child.

Shaun Walker is known for her resilience—a trait she said she inherited from her grandparents. “My grandmother used to say, ‘I can live in Hell for a year if I know I’m getting out the next,’” she recalled. “And that stayed with me. It taught me that situations are temporary—but growth requires movement. If my story does anything, I want it to remind people of this: there is still a way forward.”

When PA Theresa Hebert transitioned to practicing alternative medicine, she faced pushback.

“One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced has been practicing a more integrated, root-cause approach to medicine in a smaller community where that mindset hasn’t always been widely accepted,” she said. “Early on, this approach wasn’t always embraced and at times led to criticism. But I stayed committed to what I knew was right for my patients—taking the time to educate, to look deeper, and to treat the whole person rather than just isolated symptoms.”