11 May 2025 501DER WOMAN 2025: Anna Henderson

Anna Henderson is one of those lucky people who just knew in her heart what she was destined to do.

“I knew from early on that I was put on this Earth to love kids and help them become who they’re meant to be. I wanted to be the adult who got it, who made a kid feel seen, valued and wildly capable,” she said.  

As principal of Morrilton Elementary School, she not only gets to help students achieve their dreams, she also gets to encourage their teachers.

“The deeper I got into this work, the more I realized my heart beats not just for kids, but for the adults who serve them,” Henderson said. “I get to advocate for the humans, little and big, who are doing hard things and still showing up every single day.”

A proud 2005 Morrilton High School graduate, she and her husband, Clay, have two children, Colt, 12, and Noelle, 8. Henderson said she gets her work ethic and foundation of faith from her mother.

“She is a quiet, powerful woman who taught me how to love without limits and serve without ever needing applause. She leads with a calm strength that never asks for recognition but always leaves an impact. She models hard work, integrity and how to do the right thing even when no one’s watching. At the heart of it all is her unwavering relationship with God. She’s the reason I lead the way I do.”

Henderson’s advice for younger women is “don’t let ‘no’ shake your identity. I’ve had doors shut that I wanted so badly to walk through, and opportunities I thought were it. And when they didn’t work out, I questioned myself. But here’s what I’ve learned: God’s timing is never late, and His plan doesn’t need our panic. Every time a door closed, He was already preparing a better one.”

The most fulfilling part of her job goes back to the children. She said it’s “when a student walks out of Morrilton Elementary believing they are smart, strong and capable of doing hard things in this world. Because they are.”