Biography
Jess is a devoted mom to six awesome kids! She loved being a stay-at-home mom for 18 years then after a divorce decided to go back to school. She is currently working on becoming a respiratory therapist at Utah Valley University. She loves working in the hospital and has had the privilege of caring for many patients including COVID-19 patients.
Jess also loves art and music. She plays the piano for fun and the organ in church. She has had her bouts with anxiety and depression like many people. She has learned how to take care of herself and makes it a goal to teach others how to rise above it as well. She likes to volunteer any chance she gets. She has been a volunteer for things such as Operation Underground Railroad, Wasatch Community Gardens, and the Ronald McDonald House. Her dream job is to work at Primary Children’s Hospital.
Watch Jessica’s three-minute speech titled “What Being a Mother Means to Me.”
Philosophy on Parenting
Parenting is hard but it is also a huge blessing. I learned things from being a parent that I couldn’t have learned any other way. It has change me. My parenting philosophy has morphed over time. I think we all want our children to grow up to be good people and succeed. The way that I have done this for my children is by example. They see me work hard at housework, at homework, and in serving others. I invite them to do it with me. We serve in the community together. And they have begun serving in the community on their own as well. I nurtured a loving relationship with them so that they want to do the things that I ask of them. Even though there are some really hard things that I ask of them they know of assurity that I have their best interests in mind. They trust me. I say “yes” as often as I can. That way when I say “no” they can trust that there is good reason. I think one of the most powerful and worthwhile things that you can teach a child is to believe in God. Faith is an important aspect of our home. We try to make our home a place of refuge so that when the world outside is going crazy they know that they can come home and find peace. I teach them my beliefs and then encourage them to work and study to find their own.
Motherhood and Community
One thing that has changed my life was going on a humanitarian trip to India. It was the most wonderful and yet the most heartbreaking experience. We went to teach business skills to middle schoolers, women who were starting their own businesses, and families who were also starting businesses. Poverty is prevalent in India. The women in particular seemed downtrodden and unsure if they could succeed. More than teaching them business skills I wanted to teach them about their individual value and how their success will show their daughters that they too are worthwhile and can succeed. They have a beautiful and enchanting culture, and I grew to love them in the short time that I was there.
I have done quite a lot of volunteering for Operation Underground Railroad. I love the cause and their focus on rescuing people, especially children, from many kinds of slavery, including sex slavery. There is much work that needs to be done and there are children all over the world who are suffering. I especially love O.U.R.’s Aftercare program. The goal is to help rehabilitate these children. They need counseling, education, job skills, and a loving support group to keep them from getting caught in the same situation again and again. In a round about way they are addressing the rampant sexual abuse that exists online through pornography. Some pornography is consensual but all of it exploits humanity to being nothing more than an object to be bought and used. I also support the work that Fight the New Drug does.
I am becoming a registered respiratory therapist. This has been an exciting field and also an emotionally challenging one. We take care of some very sick patients. We have been learning at an accelerated pace with the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the patients that come to the hospital get well and are able to return home. But there are also many who have to fight for months and will never recover. I see their families desperate for a miracle. I’ve seen the tears and heartbreak that comes when that desired miracle doesn’t happen. I’ve been able to wrap my arms around family members or hold their hand and empathize with them when it’s time to say goodbye.
In addition to being a mother, experiences like these have filled me with compassion for the difficulties that people face every day. I think teaching children to be compassionate will help them to become kinder adults. That is something that we really need.
Statement about Jessica: Jessica is an intentional mother who teaches her children by inviting them to serve together with her in the community and who earns their trust by saying “yes” as often possible so they know there is a good reason when she does have to say “no”.