Is it self-centered to continue to be ourselves after becoming mothers? If a woman continues to pursue her career and personal interests after giving birth to and/or adopting a child, some people consider her to be selfish. Over the past five years my friends Jammy Davies (pronounced Jay-me) and Shari Deluca have been teaching my students about careers in the law, and the implications that our laws have on daily life. All three of us are all young working moms too!  Jammy and I are in our mid-thirties and we both have a pre-school age child, but Jammy also has four other children and is the most experienced mom among the three of us since she became a mom in her early twenties. All three of us balance work, sports and volunteer responsibilities with managing our families. Looking our best, thanks to sporadic visits to a spa or salon can provide some emotional armor in the face of life’s trials.  We would have liked to be stay at home parents at some point, but working outside the home has always allowed each one of us to best provide for our children’s health, happiness and education.

Shari’s teen-age daughter Jenna will be studying Nursing in Nashua, New Hampshire this fall.  Like me and my daughter Annie, Jenna is an only child.  Jenna and I are so lucky to have been adopted by moms who are such amazing athletes, especially since Jenna is going on to play Softball in college. Running has been a life-long sport for my mom and me, giving us the stamina and strength to dabble in other sports, or to at least teach them to my three year old in a rudimentary fashion.  As coaches and athletes both Shari and I are role models for aspiring, young girls.

All students in Connecticut are required to take a half year Civics course, which can be dry content, if not connected to our real lives. Fortunately, our State Judicial Branch in Wethersfield, Connecticut, which receives over 15,000 phone calls per month and over 5000 pieces of mail each day, allows some of their employees leave from running our court system. They visit schools in order to explain the history of courts, and how ours in Connecticut has evolved since the time of the Vikings. The presentation can also be connected to the study of specific texts in English Language Arts. 

After introducing her to my class, Shari has always said, “I am not a small person, but I am confident!”, long before the saying “Strong is the new skinny!” began appearing on t-shirts. Shari humorously warns my students not to judge by first appearances, “You think that teeny Amanda is the only one who can run. I can run too, but stopping is another story. You don’t want to be in my way when I try to stop. ” Back before we had modern juries, anyone who looked or acted different from the norm could be persecuted or even killed. Shari and Jammy welcome written communication from students prior to the presentation, and will happily tailor their presentation to the needs of students. Letters about the students themselves and the titles of books that they are reading in and out of the class have proven to be extremely helpful.

Shari excels in Softball and Rugby and is a decorated all-star in the Eastern Connecticut State Universities Sports Hall of Fame for both sports.  Shari did not tell me about her titles herself, but one of my co-workers recognized her name when she visited our school, since he is a fellow graduate and on the Board of Directors for the Athletic Department, and on the nominating committee for its Hall of Fame.  Are you unable to accept a long-term volunteer position? Consider spending a day or even an hour in a school for a career day; or visit a specific teacher in her classroom. Teachers relish the opportunity to have experts speak to our students about different careers. Jammy and Shari both raised teenage girls who are exceedingly caring young ladies and positive role models. Jammy had recently given birth to her third boy (bringing her household’s total to 5 children), and I was expecting my daughter Annie when I volunteered at a fundraiser for Breast Cancer with Jammy’s daughter Chelsea, who unlike the stereotypical teen is willing to wake up before 6AM on a Saturday and who uses her personal time to help others. Chelsea also helped take care of her baby brother when she was not working, so that Jammy could begin to realize her dream of becoming a Certified Bilingual Special Education Teacher. Chelsea was a young, working college student when she passed away from a sudden illness on the day after Christmas this past year.  Friends, family and professional counselors have been helping the immediate family to heal from this stunning loss of their only girl. Aidyn, who is now age four, recently honored his big sister’s memory and her commitment to this charity by running in his first race ever, for breast cancer research.  Running seems to be a theme running through all of our lives and volunteering at charity races has helped all three of us have fun and make friends, but also to overcome insecurities, and even great losses. I continue to admire Jammy for her poise as she shares her experiences with my students and for her overall tenacity in life. Jammy recently gave three 80 minute presentations for Mrs. Deborah MacDonald’s Business Law classes in order to prepare them for a mock trial. Here I am at my workplace in East Haddam with two amazing working moms on a snowy day back in November 2012!