Mari Walker

First published on the Baton Rouge Parents magazine website. I can do hard things, and you can too, to borrow a phrase   from Glennon Doyle . From getting ready to send my baby to Kindergarten to juggling anxiety about resuming in-person life after   being vaccinated against COVID-19 , hard things are all around me and I am leaning in and doing them. I recently got the chance to do a less serious hard thing with my older daughter and her Girl Scout troop. We traveled to  Magnolia Ridge Adventure Park  in Ethel for a morning of ziplining. There are 15 girls in the troop, and rarely can our schedules all align, but something about this activity called to each girl and we had the full cadre of Brownies. Most moms were also on hand, and in our text thread leading up to the day, it sounded like every mom was going to do the ziplining as if it were no big deal. (!!!) With a limited scope of imagination, I couldn’t be sure if I would feel comfortable being left behind whil...

As Education and Community sections editor, I wrote pages pages 14-21  and page 26 of the May 2021 issue of Baton Rouge Parents magazine. See the web layout on the magazine's website.

Originally published in the May 2021 issue of Baton Rouge Parents magazine and on its website. An idea that came about to help a grieving grandfather has expanded to help many more senior citizens. Eleven-year-old Preston Horton formed “Joyful Melodies” with his younger siblings in 2018 to bring music to older people in need of company. When COVID-19 restrictions forced Preston to revamp that work, he moved performances outdoors and performed for smaller, socially distanced audiences.  For his exemplary volunteer work, the sixth grader at Copper Mill Elementary School in Zachary has been named Louisiana’s top middle-level youth volunteer by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, an honor that includes a $2,500 scholarship and a silver medallion.  Preston is no stranger to volunteering, which he started doing at his school and a local food pantry. This Easter, he provided 70 baskets for residents at a local nursing home and created a virtual concert for them...

Originally posted on the Baton Rouge Parents magazine website . A nine-year-old second grader, Piper Walters loves Frozen , her dog Amelia, and riding her bike. Despite the challenges that come with living with cerebral palsy, Piper makes the most of her life. “She likes to dance, she actually takes ballet and tap,” says Tessa Walters, Piper’s mom. “She likes to ride her bike.” Piper’s bike is a giant tricycle with harnesses and straps to help keep her safe while she rides, and she received it in 2018 from the McLindon Family Foundation.  “Piper’s (bike) is so important to us, and not only allows her to have fun, but it’s good exercise and coordination. And those bikes are very expensive,” says Tessa. Giving back is important to the Walters family, which includes Tessa, Piper and her dad George. They often participate in fundraisers to support other children who live with disabilities. Before the pandemic, the family worked with Louisiana Hogs on Hogs, now called ...