New Mother of the Year and Young Mother of the Year 2012

            Newspaper Article Featuring AZAMI Gala

Announcing 2012 Mother of the Year, Young Mother of the Year, Mother of Education and Mother of Achievement

 The influence of mothers affects generations. It's nice to know there are mothers who are still taking a stand and making a difference.

Thursday evening, February 9, 2012, the Honors Gala for the Arizona Association of American Mothers, Inc. was held. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the new Arizona Mother of the Year and Arizona Young Mother of the Year.

View slideshow: 2012 Gala for the Arizona Association of American Mothers, Inc. 

Friends and family members of the honorees as well as other American Mothers and guests were in attendance at the elegant Garden Reception Center of the Wright House in Mesa, Greetings were given by Janeen Wright, President, followed by an invocation by Lynn Johnson. The American Mothers, Inc (AMI) Pledge was then led by Karen Kiene. After a delicious dinner, remarks were shared by the outgoing AZ American Mothers of 2011.

Myrna Shepperd, AZ Mother of the Year 2011, was introduced by Janeen Wright as being “a teacher and all-around American mother and grandmother.” Shepperd teaches at Heritage Academy in Mesa, AZ. In her down-to-earth, humorous style she quipped, “We go through a lot, but we put our kids through a lot, too.” Her year included being interviewed in several publications. She noted that her comments gravitated toward teaching children, and she revealed that it’s quite easy to tell the children who come to school to fool around from the youth who come to school to learn. Regarding the past year she stated, “It’s been fun. It’s been moving as I’ve gotten to know these fabulous women throughout the state.

Photo credit: Carolyn Murphy 

Shawni Pothier, AZ Young Mother of the Year 2011, spoke of the importance of “Deliberate Motherhood”. (Pothier also became the Mother of the Year at the National Level.) After relating how her simple choice to encourage her children to sing songs while they were getting ready in the morning helped create more harmony and less stress , she shared that it’s sometimes the small and simple things which all add up together that make the big difference. She said “…we can go forth and change things in the world. …We have the power to raise these generations, …to create peace in our homes, and we have the power to change the world.”

Linda Abbott, a teacher in the Gilbert Public schools (Mesquite Junior High), was then introduced as the year’s “Mother of Education”.

 Lucia Anderson was chosen as the “Mother of Accomplishment”. Of Lucia, it was said that she has “the kind of contagious energy that spreads joy.”

After a sweet lullaby, “All Through the Night”, by Cathy Shepherd’s family with Charity Peterson as the soloist, the new AZ Young Mother of the Year 2012 was announced. She is the beautiful and upbeat Melissa Bawden who was described as a “joyful and amazing single mother”. In 2007, when she had three children and was expecting her fourth, her husband passed away. She learned to grieve with and heal with her children, finding joy with them in their “new ordinary”. She’s a shining example of being “accepting of the life that comes our way”. She believes we can empower our children to do more than survive. We can teach them that they can do hard things. How did she do it? She remarked, “I knew God was with me, and I could go forward with grace.”

Cathy Shepherd was then announced as the AZ Mother of the Year 2012. Shepherd’s husband, Ed, passed away just six months ago. Born and raised in Mesa, AZ, Shepherd is a woman of many talents, especially in the areas of music and parenting. The audience was intrigued and delighted as she read from the book, The Pout-Pout Fish  by Deborah Diesen. She spoke of her families’ “Smile and Compliment Club”, and she invited others to help “spread the cherrie cheeries all over the place” as was stated in the book. She stands in the conviction that we can each give a smile, give a compliment, participate in anonymous acts of kindness and service and “make a difference one day at a time”.
President, Janeen Wright delivered the closing remarks and conducted some AZ AMI business, and a benediction on the night’s events was given by Leola Leavitt.
A silent auction was also a highlight of the evening.

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Note: Examiner Carolyn Murphy resides in Mesa, AZ. http://www.familytreequest.com/