WAGES recognizes three Mom of the Year honorees
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on February 28, 2008 1:46 PM
Casandra Smith volunteers in her children's classrooms while attending Johnston Community College full time, holding down a part-time job and volunteering with a local lawyer to gain experience in her chosen career field. She plans to become a paralegal.
On Wednesday, Mrs. Smith was one of three parents named Parent of the Year by WAGES during a luncheon held at Madison's Prime Rib restaurant. The other two moms honored included Doris Hernandez and Michelle Jimenez.
Mrs. Hernandez is raising three children and still finds time to volunteer with WAGES as a parent leader with the Circle of Parents group, alternate policy council representative and a member of the WAGES Health Advisory Board, Education Advisory Board and Finance Committee.
Ms. Jimenez helps the family social worker with Parent Committee duties. She volunteers in her child's classroom and works in the office performing clerical duties at WAGES on Royall Avenue. She is the president of the Pikeville Parent Committee and is the policy council representative for the Pikeville Center. She is co-chairman for the Families United Network, in which she has trained and informed parents about the parent volunteer program.
Other mothers receiving leadership awards were Kizzy Boyette, Christian Seaberry, Zjhanae King, Melissa Parks, Shantece Swain, Tessie Simpson, Janice Johnson, Nadria Teachey, Karen Mojica, Ramona Hines and Karen Penaloza Ortuno. And a father, Rossi Merritt, received the Male Involvement award.