"How many of you have wives; how many of you have daughters; how many of you have sisters? And I know you all have mothers... What do you do to help them stay healthy?" ~ Dr. Doris A. Howell

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A tribute to all the women that make a difference in our lives!

Photo Courtesy of Keerati/
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Our mom was an outstanding woman.   It only made sense since she came from a family full of exceptional women.   

She was a devoted teacher, always encouraging the one most single thing that will let us get ahead in life:  Education.   I believe that the words of John Dewey describe her philosophy on education most accurately:  “Education is not preparation for life.  Education is life itself”. Although she might have started as a teacher by chance, she surely touched the lives of many.  

She passed away too soon of heart disease… at 50.  

To honor her memory, our family decided to establish a memorial fund at the Doris Howell Foundation.    For us it meant keeping her core belief in education alive.  It meant the possibility of preventing illness like heart disease - which ultimately claims the life of half a million women each year- through scholars dedicating their careers to women’s health - related issues.

And how gratifying it has been!  Elizabeth Kim, the first Howell Student under her memorial scholarship fund recently was nominated and awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship award.  The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.   WOW.

As I sit here thinking about my mother’s birthday and mother's day I realize that the month of May shouldn’t be only about celebrating motherhood.   It should be about recognizing the exceptional woman who are daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, great grandmothers and friends and who inspire us every day!      

For more about the Howell Foundation, visit www.howellfoundation.org

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 11, 2014 at 5:48 PM

    What a wonderful memorial to your mother you have written. We mothers should all be so fortunate to have a daughter like you!

    ReplyDelete

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