Harrington in running for national ‘Mother of the Year’ award

Jennifer Harrington is pictured with her husband and four children. She has been named ‘Mother of the Year’ in Kentucky, and is in the running for the national award.

A Williamsburg woman, who has already been named “Mother of the Year” in Kentucky, will find out early next week at a conference in Washington, D.C., whether she has been selected as the National Mother of the Year.

“I don’t know if it has sunk in yet to be honest,” Jennifer Harrington said Tuesday morning. “It is surprising. It is something I thought, ‘that will never happen to me.’ It is really exciting.”

Harrington found out in early March that American Mothers Inc. had selected her as the Kentucky Mother of the Year, and that she was up for the national award.

She leaves for Washington, D.C. Sunday. Various events are planned for Monday, and the trip will culminate with a banquet Tuesday evening where the national mother of the year winner will be announced.

For more than 80 years, American Mothers Inc. has been honoring moms who make a difference. Since the first National Mother of the Year was named by the American Mothers Committee and Honorary Chairman Sara Delano Roosevelt in 1935, American Mothers has honored inspirational mothers from across the country every year.

Nominations for Mother of the Year and Mother of Achievement open on Mother’s Day annually and close on Nov. 15, according to the group’s website.

“The 2017 Mother of the Year honorees are an exceptional group of women from across the country and I can’t wait to meet each of them in person …It’s inspiring to see so many women who embody the selfless, caring spirit of motherhood and who are using that maternal energy to make the world a better place,” Dianne Callister, President of American Mothers, wrote on the group’s website.

Jennifer Harrington’s biography on the group’s website states that she is a mother to four wonderful children and has instilled in each of them a love for learning.

“As a homeschool mother, Jennifer diligently perseveres in creating lessons that cause her children to thrive in learning. Jennifer also works part time as an Associate Professor at the Lincoln Memorial University Physician Assistant Program where she shares her knowledge with 100 new medical students every year,” the biography goes on to state.

“Jennifer received a Master’s of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Lock Haven University and her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Grove City College. She also finds time to volunteer in the community and coaches an Odyssey of the Mind team, a program that nurtures creativity and problem solving skills in youth through STEM like activities. Jennifer and her husband, Bernie, live in Williamsburg with their four children.”
Jennifer Harrington said that one of her former students at LMU, Diane Roche, who graduated a couple of years ago, is the person, who nominated her.

“I thought it was very sweet and thoughtful. You never think a student will do something like that for you,” Harrington noted.

Harrington has been busy since learning about her selection as the Kentucky Mother of the Year and her nomination for the national award.

In March, she took a group of 27 students to Peru for 10 days, in addition to her already busy schedule.

“It has been a busy whirlwind experience finding that out then going to Peru. It is a busy but exciting time,” she added.