I have been selected!

I am the Utah Delegate for the 2011 Mom Congress! I will be going to Washington D.C. in April to learn and share with 50 other Moms who are fighting for education in our communities. Very exciting! Thanks Parenting Magazine for this opportunity!

Being a mother who is excited about fighting for better schools, I am eager to bring women, mothers and our communities together!

Growing up in a household of five children I learned firsthand from my mother and grandmother the importance of quality education and giving back to our schools. Both of these women are professional educators and have lived the good and the bad within our schools systems. Having this background and now a mother of two I am inspired to live my life by making a difference, not only for my own children but for the children of my community. I believe that if we nurture struggling children we will foster positive growth to successful adults.

I have been actively involved leading advocacy efforts for State funding for our Utah’s Optional All Day kindergarten programs for our Title I schools, I have led lobbying efforts for additional funding for our Head Start preschool programs and have worked with lawmakers on legislation for healthy drinks and snacks in our schools. At our local elementary I have been on numerous field trips, served as a group reading specialist and am always excited to volunteer in the classroom when help is needed. Fortunately, in our neighborhood volunteers are easy to come by and there are many mothers who are waiting to help out in our classrooms.

Having a strong passion for education has led me to work professionally every day with fundraising efforts encouraging members of our community to give back. Through these efforts dollars are granted to two initiatives, Community Learning Centers and Welcome Centers these are located in schools, nontraditional schools, and community centers. These are initiatives that are helping many struggling families succeed.

I look forward to representing my community next month and learning from our nations best!