In Their Own Words, Kids Honor Their Federal Hero: Mom

From the Environmental Protection Agency worker who might rather be picking up her children from school than working late to the U.S. Postal Service mom who delivers mail on Christmas Eve, some federal employees have one of the most challenging jobs—juggling work and family obligations.

For this Mother’s Day, federally employed moms were honored in the “My Mom Is a Federal Hero” competition, sponsored by Harris Federal Law Firm, in which children submitted video tributes to their mothers. The winners received Amazon gift cards.

The grand prize winner, Mika Cross, a federal human resources policy strategist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, was described by her 12-year-old daughter, Camryn, as “a federal hero because she served in the U.S. Army and now helps federal agencies support employees and working families.”

Second place and third place went to Laura Billings, a Postal Service clerk in Michigan and Agnes Morrow, a research chemist for the Army Corps of Engineers in Mississippi. Four-year-old Bennett Billings said his mother is a federal hero “because I love her.” Jala Morrow, 20, explained that her mother is a federal hero because “she conducts experiments that ensure the waterways, sewers and plants are free of contaminants.”

In other video tributes, 9-year-old Jenna Barker of Florida said her mother “fought for our freedoms and is now fighting for my future. She is a leader and she fights for women’s equality.” Jacqui Barker is a public affairs specialist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division and a member of Federally Employed Women. Kayla Shaw, 6, of California said her mother, Sara Stolt, an administrative support assistant at the Naval Postgraduate School, is a hero because “she makes me feel strong and healthy and she always helps me.”

Now that's a hero.

Donna Fitzgerald is a U.S. Postal Service employee who advocates for federal employee rights.

(Image via Dayna More/Shutterstock.com)