Reflecting on my term as Mother of the Year

I am reflecting on my one-year term as the 2019-2020 California Mother of the Year today as I pass the “baton” on to Simona Grace, the new 2020-2021 California Mother of the Year. Last April, we celebrated at a gala with friends and family at the Flintridge Country Club in La Canada. A few weeks later, I joined the 50 other Mothers of the Year who represented each of their states at the National American Mother’s Convention in Washington, DC. I met dynamic women who were incredible mothers and advocates for causes important to them.

During the first few weeks in my new position, my staff and I created a new website and laid out a plan. I shared with young families, tips on how to set up free child care in their homes. By organizing their own preschools and inviting a few other children to join the programs, the hosting family receives a private, individualized program for their children for free. This is a win-win situation for parents and kids.

Next, I worked with college-bound teens to help them do projects. These projects give them experiences in potential careers, and it gives them a unique opportunity to stand out in the college admissions process. Doing independent projects also increased the scholarships and grants received. Imagine if every college-bound student did a project? They could solve many problems we’re facing with the coronavirus, climate change, fracking, GMOs, immigration – you name it!

And finally, I have put together a fire prevention plan that gives residents an easy way to give their local fire departments vital information. I’ve met with the fire chief, marshals, Cal Fire, and other agencies to get their expertise and to make sure this online form has all the pertinent information they need. I’m also working with third-party companies that will process this data and deliver reports to the corresponding fire departments. We’re doing a test run in Santa Cruz County and then we plan to expand to the state of California, and then to each state in the country.

I’ll continue to move forward on all 3 platforms – even after my term ends as Mother of the Year. I also plan to support Simona as she establishes her new platform, and the California American Mothers Association. Thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity and trusting me to represent California mothers.