Meet Carson Marr, our 2016 Barkley Scholarship Winner

“Carson achieves at everything he pursues. He is a beautiful writer and one of our best students, a talented athlete, a beloved peer and friend, an admired leader, a selfless contributor, and a vibrant and gracious young man.”
With a recommendation like that just one of the many submitted on his behalf, it’s no surprise that Carson Marr, a graduate of Porter-Gaud School starting at The University of Pennsylvania this fall, has been selected as the 2016 recipient of The Rufus C. Barkley Jr. Leadership Scholarship.
Created in honor of Mr. Barkley before his passing in 2001, the scholarship is awarded to one applicant annually with a strong academic record, a history of community service, and demonstrated vision, integrity, ethics, leadership and generosity. The scholarship is renewable for all four years of college, providing $40,000 in total.
Carson was a standout student at Porter-Gaud not just for his academic record, but for the care, dedication and understanding he brought to his work. His English teacher, Elise Cavaney, recalled Carson’s first 9th grade essay assignment. Unlike his peers who worked right up until the deadline, Carson met deadlines days ahead of time so he could work on his writing with Ms. Cavaney. He wasn’t just concerned with the assignment itself – he already wanted to develop his voice, a goal normally left for later in high school.
Outside of English, Carson excelled in advance computer science courses, led the Porter-Gaud Vestry as a Senior Prefect, served as Team Captain for Track and Cross-Country his Junior and Senior years and volunteered regularly in and out of school. He is described by teachers as a team player, eager to support and mentor his peers. Fellow classmates agree – he was awarded the school’s first ever Shriver Soliday Amicitia Award via student vote. Criteria for the award centers on friendliness and the ability to bring people together and encourage them to be the best they can be.
Although Carson does not know what he wants to major in yet, his gift for leadership and service of others spill over into a demonstrated interest in law and politics. He was an avid participant in Youth in Government (YIG) as an elected Chief Justice and participated in Boys’ State 2015. Last summer, he even interned full-time for U.S. Senator Tim Scott – while working as a busboy on the side.
We congratulate Carson Marr on being selected for the Barkley Scholarship and can’t wait to see where the next four years at Penn take him.
CCF scholarship applications are posted on our website annually in January. To learn more about supporting or creating a scholarship endowment, please contact Steffanie Dohn at steffanie@coastalcommunityfoundation.org.