Process Scientist, Abbott; Abbott Park, IL

Children: Michael, 6; Finnegan, 2 ♦ Husband: Ryan Keegan

Why We Love Her Cheryl has never missed a t-ball game. Then there’s the fact that she’s working on her second master’s degree and has been on the women’s leadership group at Abbott for 11 years. She reads to her son Michael’s class on Mondays, acts as the school’s volunteer coordinator and she’s the parent rep for Finn’s class. Plus, she participates in events for breast cancer and lung cancer research. But, with all that, Cheryl does admit that sometimes her kitchen floor gets pretty dirty.

Q: What’s your best advice for a new mom returning to work? A: Find another working mom friend at work to have lunch with those first few days. It's so nice to have someone to talk with who knows what you're going through. It’s OK and normal to feel sad and miss your baby. Hang in there! Breastfeed if you can; it's nice to do something healthy for your baby while you're away from him/her. Q: What’s your biggest working mom confession? A: Art projects are so cute — I usually keep most of them — but any art project with glitter goes directly into the garbage! I just can't deal with all of that glitter flaking off and sticking to my shoes, carpet, the dog and the rest of the house. One time Michael saw his art project in the garbage and burst into tears. I need to confess: I still throw the glittery ones away, but I make sure it's after the kids are in bed, and they go straight outside so the kids have no chance of seeing them in the garbage can.

Q: What does balance mean to you? A: Balance means being able to sleep at night, knowing you did your best to take care of all of your responsibilities that day: You did your best at work, you did your best at home, you met all the responsibilities of your life. If you feel good about the effort you gave all aspects of your life, then you have achieved balance.