Ginger West Parent of the Year 2008
John West story follows
Utah 2008 Parent of the Year is Ginger West. Ginger is the mother of three children, one a daughter who has Down Syndrome. She has volunteered more than 400 hours at The Learning Center for Families by serving as an officer of the St. George Parent Committee, the current President of the Policy Council and as a liaison to the Board of Directors. She is also on several committees including bylaws, budget and membership.
Ginger credits TLC with helping her understand that she isn't required to be a “Super Mom” at the expense of neglecting her own health and well being. Having a child with special needs has refocused her life around wanting to support all families in the community who have children with learning and developmental differences.
Before she had her daughter, Ginger was a working mom who took on ever more responsible jobs and provided extra income for her family. However, she has had a wonderful opportunity to rethink her goals and realizes that money is not the most important resource that she can add to her family, but that by being a strong advocate for her child and other vulnerable children in our community she will do the most good. We think that is the definition of a Super Mom!
John West Beating the Odds 2008
Utah 2008 Beating the Odds is John West. His application is a triumph over several years of hard luck with two brothers who died young and two who ended up in prison. He exercised very bad judgment he dropped out of high school and into a life of drugs and alcohol. He was incarcerated 3 times when he finally decided to put his life back together. He received his GED scoring at 95% or better in all but one subject. He also decided on a plumbing career and began studying in earnest in this demanding field. John says that having a child with Down syndrome has also taught him a great deal. He is a talented chess and tennis player and wants to someday build a tennis club.
Ginger and John’s applications were entered into the Utah Head Start Association contest to decide who would represent our state amongst the 11 programs who submitted winners. We are thrilled that John won the Beating the Odds award for our state and will now compete at the Regional level in October. Congratulations to this terrific couple!
The National Head Start Association offers opportunities for parents, staff and community members to be recognized for outstanding achievements.Find a full list of awards and requirements available on National Head Start Association web site.