Sabrina Wisher DeWitt
When Sara Delano Roosevelt presented Lucy Keen Johnson the first Mother of the Year® award in 1935, our country and its mothers would not have imagined the history that had yet to be made. For the past 87 years, America’s mothers have risen to the challenge generation after generation with their maternal caring and energy.
American Mothers, Inc continues the tradition of uplifting our nation’s mothers with a national search each year recognizing mothers from every state in the union For the past Seven years, Sabrina Wisher DeWitt (2014 Montana Mother of the Year) has led the national search.
“I have been the National Search Co Chair, Search Chair, and now 2nd VP the past Seven years. I think I have the best job out of anyone,” says Sabrina. “Every year I get to know so many amazing women, and each one of them make a difference in my life. I am truly blessed to be part of such an amazing organization.”
When the governor of Montana nominated Sabrina, she was a single mother of four and her oldest daughter had special needs Sabrina’s determination as a mother empowered her to continuously advocate for her child’s needs
“I was fighting for a bed for my oldest daughter Mikayla I lost that battle f our times against the state of Montana but God had a bigger plan for myself and Mikayla That one bed I was fighting for is now helping thousands of young children with clothing, shelter, food, medical equipment and so much more.”
Like thousands of mothers before her, Sabrina uses motherhood as her motivation to share hope with her community. She is inspired by her pledge. “I am going to save one child at a time. Each and every person deserves the quality of life.”
“Being a part of American Mothers, Inc. has been a game changer for me ” Sabrina continues, “I have gained a family with so much unconditional love and some have become my biggest cheerleaders ” With this as her focus, Sabrina has led her committee each year in the search for the Mother of the Year A mother who is nominated for Mother of t he Year may think she’s not particularly special, but
American Mothers, Inc has a way of helping each mother recognize what others already see she is extraordinary Sabrina shared “In my world I was just doing whatever your mom would do: which is fight for your kids and take care of your kids.”
In 1935, a nationwide s earch began to find a mother who would be an inspiration to the nation; someone who would represent a mother's unconditional love, inner strength, and courage American Mothers, Inc. has carried on that tradition every year since then, and has named a National Mother of the Year from nominees across the 50 states, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Mother of the Year® is a registered trademark of American Mothers, Inc #IHBM
Ame
American Mothers, Inc. 2nd Vice ®President
Submitted Photos
IHBM 5
Emily Brooks
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IHBM 7 Article Submitted by:
E M I L Y B R O O K S
F A R G O , N D
Nm o m I c o u l d b e . Mother of the Year - 2018 AMERICAN MOTHERS, INC. M Y J O U R N E Y T O M O T H E R H O O D Photo Credits: Nicole Midwest Photography
Life will always take twists and turns It seems as though once you think everything is going smoothly, a new challenge must be faced
Having good self care habits by addressing your physical needs and emotional needs helps greatly to handle whatever life may bring Resiliency is so important, and is something I try to instill in my children They will have many challenges ahead I want them to know that no matter what life throws their way, there are always multiple options for figuring anything out.
Between welcoming our son and daughter into the world, our family lost a child to miscarriage While this is not an uncommon occurrence for many families, it’s something not often discussed Although I’ve taken time to mourn our loss, our child will always be imprinted on my heart. Having lost our middle child is something that is part of the story of my journey to motherhood, and for many other women as well
Several years after the loss of our middle child, we welcomed our daughter into the world Our family was now complete! Although we faced many challenges as young parents, we now felt more seasoned in our parenting abilities. With experience came confidence to handle the many demands of parenthood and life I’m thankful for the tools I’ve learned over the years for handling life’s many obstacles.
Teaching my children about shaping the community they live in through giving back has been one of the life lessons I’ve made a point of instilling in them Our family has found ways to meaningfully fundraise and fill needs for non profits over the years In 2018, I was honored as North Dakota Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc. (AMI) for the contributions I have made to support women, children, and families in our community
When I was recognized with the North Dakota Mother of the Year title, I became involved with an organization with a rich history of honoring the contributions of mothers throughout the United States. My involvement with AMI not only gave me a voice to support other moms through unique opportunities, but the chance to meet dynamic women from all over the United States
After having gone through postpartum depression, I had the desire to support other women with issues unique to motherhood My involvement with AMI has provided me with meaningful opportunities to do just that I shared my story on a “Moms and Mental Health” panel discussion in Washington DC, which gave voice to the journey I have been through. Witnessing the stories of other moms' journeys through my involvement with AMI has also been very powerful
So many times as moms we may not feel heard, but having a platform for sharing our struggles and victories is something very special. This is what I’ve found in American Mothers Something truly unique with my involvement with AMI is having the chance to attend the Commission on the Status of Women in New York City as a delegate for the organization I met women from around the world, and learned of the issues affecting them through their testimonies.
My journey of motherhood is something I hold sacred, and I thank God for blessing me with every day It is one of my life’s purposes No matter what I may accomplish in my lifetime, raising my children is the most important thing I will ever do. I look forward to continuing to positively impact and support other women on their journeys of motherhood as well!
MOTHERHOOD Q & A
What does it mean to you to be a Mother?
Being a mother to me is fulfilling the role of mentor and life guide to my children My desire as a mother is to help my son and daughter to become the best versions of themselves as possible I never want them to feel that they need to be just like anyone else, or compare themselves to others.
God blesses each of us with individual gifs, talents, and abilities that are unique to only us I don’t want my children to judge themselves against others because they are not running the same race as anyone else The only person who they should be comparing themselves to is the person they were yesterday.
How has being a Mother shaped your life?
Being a mother has defined who I am as a person I’ve always had a strong maternal instinct, and known I wanted to be a mom one day Seeing how great my husband was with children made me realize that I wanted to spend my life raising a family with him
Raising my children to be well adjusted, independent adults is one of my life’s purposes. With that in mind, motherhood affects all of my major decisions in order to fulfill that purpose
What advice would you give to other Mothers?
Something that has really helped me through the challenges of motherhood (and life) is keeping a good sense of humor. When my children were younger, sometimes my days would start out with cleaning up three spills in a row I was going to have to clean it up whether I was upset about it, or able to giggle at how ridiculous the situation was I find it much more helpful to keep a positive attitude when these instances happen Motherhood is full of messiness, and handling it with humor helps to make it easier to handle emotionally
How are you using your own maternal energy to make an impact in the lives of those around you?
Since 2018 when I was honored with the North Dakota Mother of the Year title by AMI, I’ve worked to start a local Chapter in my state When we join together with others who want to make a positive impact, our efforts are amplified I’m grateful to all those who have joined me to help with needs we’ve seen in our community.
I’ve also been serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for AMI My new position as Golden Rule Grant Chairperson will allow me the opportunity to help disperse funds that will support non profits directly impacting women, children, and families #IHBM
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In our family, we’ve asked ourselves what WILL we do to impact our community rather than IF we will impact the community. Watching my parents involvement with the town I grew up in made me realize the responsibility I had in making a difference in the lives of those around me. Watching my children continue on this family legacy through planning and running fundraising events for causes in their communities has been very meaningful as a parent.
From the age of 10, I knew that I wanted to be a high school Home Economics teacher I attended NDSU to earn my degrees, and taught Family and Consumer Science for over 40 years In this role, I taught middle school, high school, and college classes Many important life skills where learned by my students Courses I led included cooking, sewing, child development, child care, and job training courses.
All of the courses I taught included group work, which gave the students the opportunity to develop friendships. I helped my students learn how to nurture relationships,
and develop the skills necessary to lead a productive life after they graduated To me, this was meaningful work to help ensure the success of future generations
Something that was wonderful about teaching was that my husband was also a teacher at the same school. Having the same calendar schedule as our children made it possible to spend a lot of time together as a family. We created memories through going to our lake cabin in the summers and going on ski trips over vacation days during the winters. Having matching work and school schedules made family time together an important part of our daughters’ childhood.
Shortly before I retired from my career, I became a grandmother and started a new chapter in my life Of all the jobs I’ve had, my favorite is being a grandma I’m enjoying this season of life, and love watching our daughters use their maternal energy to raise our grandchildren
MOTHERHOOD Q & A
How are you using your own maternal energy to make an impact in the lives of those around you?
I’m 75 how did that happen? At this point in my life, itit’s
it's just fun to be “Grandma!” My husband loves being Grandpa! We have fun letting the “Grands” stay overnight with us At the same time, their parents get a “date night "
We try to focus on the “favorite” activity of each child. We play soccer, pool, bake, or swim!
What does it mean to you to be a mother?
Being a mother means that life should go on and I can help shape those lives.
How has being a mother shaped your life?
Life certainly changes when children are born! Our entire life centered around the children. Quitting work was not an option for our family Home day care was perfect at the time Teaching school was perfect in the 80’s because the hours matched the kids’ school hours We found a nanny that was a wonderful match!
What does it mean to you to have been chosen as a former North Dakota Mother of the Year?
It means a job well done as a mother. It was an amazing honor! #IHBM
