Meet the Neighbors: River & Zach White
Photo courtesy of River White
Hometown: Cabot and Mickey, Tennessee
Neighborhood: Benton
Originally from Tennessee, River White first met her husband, Arkansas native Zach White, while the two were undergraduate students at Harding University in 2011. Although she’s not from the state, River’s dad is originally from The Natural State, so she spent a lot of time exploring Arkansas growing up.
“I guess Arkansas was destined to be,” River said. “After college graduation, we moved to Mount Dora, Florida, for five years and found our way back home to Arkansas to be much closer to both of our families.”
Working as a nurse in labor and delivery for seven years at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock, her favorite part of the job is helping families bring new life into the world. Now, she’s scaled back as a nurse while she finishes her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Pediatrics.
“As much as I have loved being at the bedside with families, I felt a longing to continue to follow the babies as families went home,” River said. “I wanted to be a part of their continuing stories as each family grew together.”
While living in Florida, Zach spent five years as a cross-country and track coach. When they moved back to Arkansas in 2020, he decided to complete his Doctorate in Educational Leadership and now works as an executive property manager at Unwind Luxury Vacations.
When they moved back to Arkansas, River and Zach had just given birth to their oldest son, Campbell, who is 6 years old and their family’s fearless leader. Their middle child, Miles, is 5 years old and full of joy. In 2022, they gave birth to their youngest daughter, Flora Kay, who is now 3 years old and the independent one of the three.
“[Campbell] is determined, loyal, and a friend to all,” River said. “[Miles] is confident, spunky and just loves to make a friend everywhere he goes. [Flora Kay] beats to her own drum! She loves to play dress up and tea party, but will follow the boys around and try anything they do!”
In Arkansas, the Whites have found community through church and school. They moved to The Natural State during a time with lots of uncertainty, and it ended up being the biggest blessing for the family.
“Arkansas is stunningly beautiful,” River said. “I love that you can travel all over this state and get the best of everything. There are so many activities to do in the metro: beautiful parks, concerts and sporting events … I think it surprised me that on any given day, Little Rock can feel like a small town.”