What is the most rewarding part of being a mom?

I enjoy sharing women's achievements in my male-dominated field with my daughters, inspiring them to believe 'I can do that too!'. Recently, I read 'Marie's Ocean: Marie Tharp Maps the Mountains Under the Sea' with my 2nd grader. Afterwards, she asked me to help her 'map the ocean mountains' like Tharp. Together, we created a simple bathymetric map which she proudly photo-copied and shared with her entire class.

What is one memory of your kids that you will never forget?

I will never forget witnessing a total solar eclipse with my husband and both my daughters on April 8th, 2024. We made a sun funnel, talked about the sun's corona, and (of course) ate a ton of 'eclipse' snacks. It was definitely a once in a lifetime event - and we were all together to experience it.

What would you do with $20,000?

As a full-time director at American Forests and a working mom, my 'not-for-profit' youth website (www.treemama.org) and its free tree identification mobile app (iSeaTree) only exist because of late nights, coffee, and supportive friends. Over the past four years, I've poured my heart into these projects to ensure all kids - regardless of location - can connect with nature. I'd allocate all $20,000 to sustain these resources, enabling me to continue the promise of free access for all children.