Most moms I talk to aren’t the biggest fans of teenagers, but I adore mine! To be fair, I have loved every stage of motherhood. Each phase presents challenges, but there is always something hilarious and wonderful to enjoy. Being a mother has been the greatest joy of my life. In our family, we have three kids and plenty of medical drama. My oldest, youngest, and I have type 1 diabetes, while my middle child is deaf in her left ear. After extensive research and appeals, I secured approval for her to receive a cochlear implant despite our insurance not covering single-sided deafness. Her case has since set a precedent, helping other children receive implants. One of the most meaningful aspects of this journey was showing my kids the power of education and persistence. After three denials, my successful appeal cited studies I had thoroughly researched. I hope that they always remember that their mom will fight for them and that determination can make the impossible happen. I have always prioritized being home as much as possible, working part-time as a sonographer. However, in 2020, when my husband lost his job, I had to transition to full-time work at the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics. Here, I developed a deep love of learning. Working alongside doctors who publish research has been inspiring—some even request my scans for books and articles, which is always exciting! When I learned BYU was starting a medical school, I had an idea. Since ultrasound puts a strain on my shoulder and wrist, I knew I couldn’t do it forever. I proposed integrating point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) throughout medical training in a brief but well researched paper. I delivered it to the president of BYU, who passed it along to the medical school's dean when he was appointed. This program would allow graduates to provide higher-quality care, particularly in humanitarian settings that the medical school has pledged to serve where resources are limited. In underserved areas, doctors trained in POCUS could bridge gaps in care without relying on expensive or inaccessible services. I also want to create an experiential learning program where medical students travel abroad to teach ultrasound to providers in areas with limited training. To gain experience in this field, I began volunteering with Life Matters International. Members travel to the Philippines to train nurses and midwives, while other sonographers review images remotely for quality control throughout the year. Each location is visited multiple times to ensure deep and broad teaching.  To qualify for a faculty position when BYU’s medical school is ready, I am pursuing my master’s and a doctoral degree in public health. Though I know it will be challenging, I am incredibly excited. My family is fully supportive, and my oldest—also heading to college—thinks it’s amazing that we’ll both be in school simultaneously! I love that my children see me embracing education and growth. I hope to inspire them to be lifelong learners, always striving for knowledge and improvement.

I love being a sonographer. For 20 years, my job has been fulfilling, dynamic, and ever-evolving. However, the physical toll—pain in my shoulders, wrists, and arms—has been a challenge. Beyond my profession, I have a deep love for travel and experiencing new cultures. Organizing humanitarian trips for my family has strengthened my passion for serving communities worldwide. Now, I want to combine my expertise in ultrasound with my dedication to global service. BYU announced that they are opening a new medical school nearby, which sparked an idea: teaching point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to medical students. My goal is to make them so proficient that they can provide accurate ultrasound scanning anywhere, even in remote areas without hospitals. This could help prevent unnecessary emergency room visits and improve patient care. Additionally, I want to establish an experiential learning program abroad, where students teach local providers POCUS. These providers, in turn, would train others in their communities, creating a lasting impact. With this vision, I wrote a proposal and presented it to the new BYU Medical School. I was thrilled when Dr. Ott, the inaugural dean, personally reached out, supporting my idea. He connected me with Dr. Heather Ridinger, head of curriculum, who also embraced the concept. Inspired, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in Public Health to better serve those communities that otherwise go without exceptional care globally. BYU Medical School’s mission resonates deeply with me. A press release stated that the school's focus would be on humanitarian efforts and on “teaching with research in areas of strategic importance to the Church,” with a vision to draw students globally. I feel called to contribute to this mission, ensuring that medical students gain hands-on skills that empower them to serve worldwide. In researching how to structure these experiential learning trips, I found Life Matters International, a volunteer organization that trains midwives and nurses in the Philippines to perform ultrasound exams. Their model—training, remote follow-ups, and multiple reinforcement visits—is exactly what I envision. By providing continuous support, they create real, lasting change. Excited by their approach, I quickly signed up as a volunteer. I’ll be reviewing ultrasound images from home and, hopefully, traveling to the Philippines in February to help teach. This experience will be invaluable in refining my own program, identifying challenges, and ensuring its success. By combining my ultrasound expertise with my passion for global service, I hope to create a program that equips medical students to make a tangible difference in underserved communities worldwide. I am inspired by the story of Debra S. Jackson. Though it is intimidating to return to college after a more than 20-year gap, I can look to figures such as her to buoy me up and give me confidence that I can do this! I am so excited to prove to myself and to demonstrate to my kids that there is more for me to do and that life does not end at 42! I have three of the most amazing children; the oldest is headed to college herself this fall. As I confide in her my excitement, I see her's grow, and she shows more confidence for her upcoming college experience. We will help motivate each other and be examples to the younger two that, in this family, we are life-long learners!

Balance. Is there such a thing when it comes to raising kids and working? I have always worked in some capacity while raising my three kids, sometimes more, sometimes less. My husband and I seem to be on a splintery teeter-totter, first one requiring more time and effort, then the other, but both getting pokes along the way. Each takes their turn feeling the strain while the other picks up the slack. Normal life, normal partnering, as all good relationships do. I don't regret this, even through the difficult times. Our kids are resilient and strong. They have learned how to band together and work as a team. They have learned the value of hard work and what it means to contribute to a household, a family, a community, and a society. I work as a sonographer, or ultrasound tech. I see people in their happy moments and also in some of their saddest, and in many in between. Sometimes when I come home from a long day at the hospital, I will tell my family of different patients who stood out to me to give my kids a perspective they couldn't possibly yet achieve in their young lives. I'll use those precious moments around the table to tell of a sweet grandmotherly woman struggling with cancer or a college co-ed with a sudden onset of ovarian torsion. Warnings and funny stories, comments and shocking moments, all shared. We don't separate work and home, they are all part of us, just as their school stories are part of them. Part of the reason we both work is for dual coverage of healthcare. In our family of five, we have three diabetics, one deaf child, and two with scoliosis. Our son jokes that my husband is the weirdo because he's the only one who doesn't have anything! But these trials are small, we know. We have prioritized giving and serving with our kids whenever we get too down on ourselves. Nothing makes you happier than serving others! We have tried to teach them to look outside themselves and to serve those around them. This is truly where they will find the greatest and most lasting happiness. Our kids have all begun working at a young age, around fourteen, not because we’ve asked them to, but because they have wanted to of their own accord. Because of this strong work ethic, my oldest, who is now seventeen, recently went on a humanitarian trip to the Philippines for seventeen days, paid for entirely by herself! I could not have been more proud of her. She was able to serve the people in San Pablo by building a kitchen for their school and teaching the kids English. Balance. I think it is taught to me more than I exhibit the trait. When I am overly exhausted, someone will notice and offer to clean up for me, or put a movie on. When my kids are stressed about school, I will calm them with an extremely aggressive mom hug until we are all laughing and the tension is no more. Balance is what family is about. One is down, the others bring them up. In a larger sense, that is society. That is how we should be treating one another. We help, we lift, we fill in the cracks, and make each other whole.