Carolyn Hensarling Arizpe

About

I was born in College Station, Texas, and am a proud 3rd generation Aggie. After graduating from Texas A&M, I moved to Washington, DC and spent a decade working for a member of the House of Representatives and in the George W. Bush administration before returning to Texas in 2005 to be near my cherished family. I began a career in nonprofit fundraising with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), and my career advanced to a national role with LLS over the last 16 years. LLS was also a source of support when my eldest brother, James, battled and ultimately succumbed to Multiple Myeloma in 2022. In 2012, I married Homero Arizpe and we welcomed our daughter, Stella, in 2013. As a family, we enjoy international travel. My other non-work activities include baking with Stella and driving to all her extracurricular activities.

I first moved to San Antonio in 2005, when St. Mark's was highly recommended as a close-knit community with a rich history. After getting married and starting a family, I became more involved with St. Mark's. Our daughter was christened at St. Mark's in 2014, and I was blessed to be received into the Episcopal faith in 2023. Over the last six years I've gained a full understanding of the opportunities to engage in the various ministries at St. Mark's as well as participate in the church's commitment to the San Antonio community.

I'm serving for a second year as a Sunday School teacher here at St. Mark's. Our little ones keep me on my toes as they ask some thought-provoking questions! I completed year one of EfM and look forward to beginning year two. Some of my closest relationships at St. Mark's were formed with my EfM classmates. I have grown in my Christian faith through my EfM coursework and gained a greater respect and understanding of different viewpoints and religious beliefs. I served on the Grants Outreach Committee in 2023, and in 2024 I was the Chair of that committee. I was truly humbled meeting the various nonprofit community organizations who applied and gained a better understanding of how they help the marginalized and those in need.

Over the past few years, I've watched our congregation live out our Core Vocation. St. Mark's provided me numerous opportunities to seek how the skills I've been blessed with can best serve the Core Vocation. As a member of the Vestry, I want to support others finding their place within our congregation so they may put their talents toward serving our Core Vocation.