Lainey Rarick

Lainey Rarick – Tennessee
Nomination & Photography by Melody Dawkins
Issue 77 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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​Nomination: Lainey Rarick exudes strong leadership skills in her devotion to Christianity, her academics, her social endeavors, and within her family. She maintains lasting friendships with support and love, and is always there when you need her. Lainey actively engages in many organizations such as Lights Camera Fashion, the worship team at Warren Community Church, and National Honors Society. She utilizes her role in these organizations to spread God’s word, raise money for her community, further her academic excellence, and support peers. Without Lainey, the world would be less bright, as her inspirations ignite a passion in the people around her.

Photography by Melody Dawkins

​Tell us about your Christianity and why it is important to you?
My faith stems from how different my life would be without God. Without him, I would constantly be anxious, angry, depressed, and find only happiness in materialistic things that will not last. With him, I have constant peace and reassurance in my future on earth and after death, allowing me to be joyful everyday. I would be a completely different person without God, but I am so thankful that that’s not the case here. Christianity is a religion where I find unconditional love and joy that lasts through any hardship. Following God means I do not have to miserable all of my life, but be joyous all throughout life.

What do you love most about your church?
The community within Warren Community Church is unlike any other. The people are truly like family to me, and they welcome anyone who walks through our doors. My church has a heart for serving and it inspires me everyday to serve in different organizations around my community. I love that my church is less of a community, but more of a family where we are there for our brothers and sisters in Christ during good and bad times.

What is your favorite class this year and what is the most interesting thing you’ve learned?
My favorite class this year would definitely have to be Performing Arts. The people in the class are my family and I love working alongside them everyday. Each and every one of them is a true inspiration, but my teacher, who builds our program with love and compassion, is definitely the heart of our family and the person who we inspire to be the most. One interesting thing I have learned this year is how lengthy the novel, “Frankenstein,” is.

What social endeavor do you participate in the most and why?
I go to the Bellevue’s youth group on Wednesday nights every week, so I can surround myself in God fearing people who inspire my love for the Lord. I like going to different churches and being able to meet new people, but also to experience the way different churches navigate the word, so I can expand on my knowledge of it.

Tells us about your family. Where do you fit in and where do you stand out?
I come from a family of four, where the house is divided between masculinity and femininity. I like to say I am most like my mom, but look more like my dad. My mom, Christie, is one of the most hardworking and outgoing people I have ever seen. Her love for others and Christ shines through everything she does and she inspires me daily to be the bigger person in every situation. My dad, Dwayne, is the leader of our family and guides us to be a Christ centered. We share the same dry humor, which sometimes gets out of hand when we start bashing each other, but it is out of love. He never fails to protect and guide me and continuously shows me everyday that I am more than enough. I have one sibling, Andrew, who overtime has become one of my favorite people. Growing up we never got along, but now I do not know what I would do without his humor and listening ear. Everyone in my family has a role in making me the person I am today.

What is a favorite family tradition you hope never ends?
Every Christmas, my aunt and cousins come down to my grandmother’s house where we have a crab boil. The is prepared and then we gather around a large table in my Grandmother’s dining room, where we have community with each other while eating AMAZING food. I think this is what makes my family so unique and I love telling people about our nontraditional tradition.

What do you and your friends like to do together?
My friends and I love eating at the local Mexican restaurant where we catch up on life, relationships, and everything that us teenage girls talk about. We also enjoy driving around and screaming to the music during a cool evening. Recently, I have acquired a love for bible study dates with my friends, where we dive into God’s word and discuss our thoughts and feelings about it and how it relates with our young lives.

What is a favorite memory with your friends you know you will never forget?
One evening, two of my friends and I went and bought places where we wrote out deep feelings on life and situations that we had experienced, then we drove to an abandoned bridge and smashed the plates on the ground. Being able to let go of past relationships and feelings with my closest friends was definitely something I will remember forever. It was a very therapeutic night that will definitely be used again in the future.

What is Lights Camera Fashion and what do you do in it?
Lights, Camera, Fashion is a modeling event that raises money for St. Jude through 50 teenage models. The money goes towards families within St. Jude, so they never have to see a single hospital bill during their Childs treatment. The models are chosen and over the coarse of 6 months, they raise money for St. Jude using fundraises and donations. The models do a fashion show and photoshoot with My Best Friend Jenna dresses and get a custom dress made by the famous, Johnathan Kayne. The event is brought on by the bridal and prom dress company called, My Best Friend Jenna. The organization as a whole is a wonderful inspiration to young girls and shows them that they can make a difference in a multitude of lives, when they put themselves out in the world. It allows the girls to experience something bigger than themselves and they see the impact of their handwork right before their own eyes.

What has been your favorite service project within the NHS?
I have loved selling crushes every February in my school to raise money the Carl Perkins Center. The Carl Perkins Center’s mission is to provide support to families in preventing and dealing with child abuse in West Tennessee and to help both parents and children meet the practical needs of preserving and improving the quality of family life. This year we raised over 400 dollars.

What leadership opportunities have you had within your endeavors?
I lead a high school girls bible study every Wednesday, where I am able to lead friends and peers to the Lord and create a safe place for girls in my school to talk about their hardships, but also praises. I am Vice President of NHS, Secretary of Student Government, Secretary of Mu Alpha Theta, Secretary of Interact Club and through these clubs I am spread my message of the gospel within my school through my actions. I am also honored to be on the worship and praise team at my church, Warren Community Church, where I use my gifts for God’s glory to lead my church in worship and I am surrounded by people praising the Lord. I was also captain of my High School women’s soccer team.

How would describe your leadership style?
I try to lead by example through my experiences within life, so others can relate to what I have been through in order for them to feel an impact. Unfortunately, sometimes we need to see a miracle in order to believe in more miracles. My goal is to be a christian role model to young people and people my age all around the world.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
My nomination does not cover the many organizations and activities that I am a part of in my community. Along with National Honors Society, I am also a part of Mu Alpha Theta, Student Government, Pep Club, Fayette Christian Athletes, Drama Club, Soccer and have performed as a lead role in plays such as Frozen Jr., The Addams Family, High School Musical, and more. I am so grateful that many look to me for advice, love, and God’s grace and that I have been provided the opportunity to build myself as a leader in my community

What else would you like to talk about?
I would love to discuss my aspirations for the future. I want to go to college at an SEC school and pursue a degree in international business so that I may travel around the world, utilizing my leadership and Christian missionary to change the lives of many around me. I intend to become a leader in any path I choose and hope to inspire success in myself and those around me throughout my life. I am excited for what the future holds.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
I feel the most passionate about my immense and all-encompassing love for God, my savior. I am so grateful to have grown up in a community that praises and worships him, and allows me to be a part of his worship alongside them. Everything I love - school, my friends, family, hobbies - is done through him. I have been a member of performing arts for four years, and between the plays I have starred in and my church worship group, God has always been the forefront.

How did you find your photographer, Melody Dawkins? What was your experience like? What did you love most about it?
My photographer is my future sister-in-law and has been a part of our family for over four years now. I am so grateful to have her as a part of my life and consider her one of my close friends. We have done photo shoots together since I was in eighth grade, and this one was extra special, as it was my senior shoot. I am so blessed that she was so excited to share this experience with me. We had such a great time filled with laughter and love. My favorite part was the collaboration and easy-going atmosphere.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?
You would find me at the Bible museum or in South Carolina at the pretty place chapel.

What is up next for you that you are super excited about?
I am attending Mississippi State University in the fall where I will get to dive deeper within my identity and see all different walks of life. I will also get to study international business, where I can focus on traveling and seeing different countries. I am excited to experience something completely new and see how God changes my life through it.

Look for Lainey in issue 77 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here for more information on issue 77

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

Photography by Lainey Rarick