TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Where was your favorite place to eat in Texarkana?
Michelle Carter and Tina Major
When I read this question, the first thing that popped into my mind was TLC Burgers. I loved going downtown to eat there with friends and loved their Red River Sand Seasoning. I also love Easter Sunday Brunch at Texarkana Country Club and was obsessed with Bryce’s Cafeteria mac and cheese. How do you describe Texarkana to your friends? I tell my friends in Tulsa that Texarkana was a wonderful place to grow up, but what made it truly special were the friendships I built there. My Texarkana friends are still some of my closest friends today—they feel more like family. Although we now live apart, we make it a priority to see each other at least once or twice a year. No matter how much time has passed, we always pick up right where we left off. We stay connected through a daily group text, celebrating each other’s joys and supporting one another through life’s challenges. There is something incredibly special about friends who know your history, your heart, and the path that shaped you. Those friendships are some of the greatest treasures of my life. Who is someone from Texarkana who impacted your life? So many people from Texarkana have impacted my life, but if I were going to pick, I would choose my in-laws, Judge Jack and Joan Carter. Joan and Jack live exemplary lives and have provided their children and grandchildren with such great role models to learn from and look up to.
TXK ROOTS Michelle Carter
Michelle is also the co-host of Mahjong & Mics , a podcast she created with close friend and co-worker Tina Major. What began as a fun outing with friends to learn mahjong quickly turned into a love for the game and, just as importantly, the friendships and connections formed around the table. In its first year, Mahjong & Mics released more than 50 episodes and opened the door to experiences Michelle and Tina never expected. They have hosted live podcast appearances at the Oh My Mahjong Corporate Studio, and interviewed special guests from the mahjong community. Through it all, Michelle says the greatest reward has been connecting with people across the country and finding an unexpectedly fun new chapter in life. Conference in Dallas, filmed an episode at the Sam’s Club
Michelle Carter moved to Texarkana, Texas, in the fifth grade and has considered it home ever since. She graduated from Texas A&M University-Texarkana in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree before earning her law degree from the William H. Bowen School of Law in 1999. Michelle married her husband, Clay Carter, in 1996, and the couple is celebrating 30 years of marriage this summer. They made their home in Bixby, Oklahoma, where they raised their daughter, Sydney, a 2024 graduate of the University of Arkansas who now works for SC Johnson in Bentonville. After practicing law for eight years, Michelle transitioned into education and discovered a new passion. Today, she serves as a reading specialist in the Academic Center at Tulsa Tech.
What do you miss about Texarkana? The small town community of knowing
people wherever you go. What words do you live by? I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at seven, and it has taught me to truly appreciate life and the value of each day. While life comes
with both highs and lows, living with a chronic disease has shaped my mindset to intentionally choose joy, laughter, and gratitude every day.
TXK Roots is Texarkana Magazine ’s forum to highlight and honor Texarkana natives who have accomplished big things in the world. These folks may have relocated, but they took the values, education, work ethic, and creativity instilled in them by growing up in this unique border city and used these qualities to blaze extraordinary trails. We asked them to share their thoughts about growing up here. No matter how far from Texarkana they may find themselves, we will always consider them our neighbors and we are proud to claim them as forever members of our extended Texarkana community. After all, “everyone is famous in their hometown!”
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TXK ROOTS
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