Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock is where many high-achieving high school girls in the capital city call home. And this year’s exceptional senior, Lauren Halter, is no exception. But she’s involved in so many activities that one has to wonder when she sleeps.
“I don’t sleep much, but I love it when I do,” she said with a laugh.
Halter, 18, a parishioner at Christ the King Church in Little Rock, has spent more than 250 hours in high school serving organizations, such as the 20th Century Club, CARTI, Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock, Women and Children First and the American Heart Association.
As an Angel of Hope for the 20th Century Club, she was one of nine students who earned the Service Above Self Award by clocking more than 100 hours. She was also one of three students who earned the Guardian Angel Award for her dedication to service and willingness to help others. Halter also received the Teen of Impact Fundraiser Award for raising at least $1,500 while she was an American Heart Association Sweetheart.
With a 4.5 GPA, Halter takes school as seriously as she takes volunteering in her community. She’s also active in the French Club, Investment Club, Future Healthcare Professionals Club, Beta Club, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and she’s a fire marshal for the all-girls’ school.
“(My faith) definitely keeps me focused and calm. It’s like a very meditative process for me,” Halter said. “I’m not super involved — I go to Mass obviously — but it definitely keeps me with a purpose and helps me focus on what is really important. If I catch myself thinking about stressing out about a little thing, I realize in the big scheme of things.”
Of her high school mentors, without missing a beat, she said, “Captain Pursley.”
Captain Scott Pursley, a science teacher, “was very scary and intimidating” to Halter at first. But his teaching style helped prepare her for college and a career.
“He’s been my teacher for the last three years, and he is awesome. I have looked up to him every single year. … I definitely love his teaching style. It kept me up to date with the material because we had a test every class, pretty much, and his labs are awesome. He’s an awesome guy, and being a captain in the Navy, he’s very strict on time, so he definitely kept me motivated and focused on what was important.”
Halter will attend Stanford University in California this fall, studying biology and chemistry. She plans to pursue a career in the medical field.
She knows that many young people face numerous challenges.
“Be confident,” Halter said. “During the Angels program, I had to meet a lot of people who are going through the hardest time of their life, having cancer and trying to figure that out … I was very intimidated at first, and I didn’t know how to relate to them, but just being confident … trying to talk to them and being outgoing with them is definitely what helped me. It’s the most meaningful experience for me because both of my grandmas passed away from breast cancer when I was young, and so I felt connected to them in that way.”
