As we mark Mother’s Day, we remember all those moms out there who sacrificed a great deal to raise a family and have a career. Limanews spoke with four strong women in positions of power to try and find out how they balance career and family. […]
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Cynthia Spiers, president Rhodes State College
Cynthia Spiers, a mother of three grown children took the traditional route of motherhood. After her graduation, she got married to Jim Spiers and then motherhood called.
“I decided to stay home for 14 years and raise my children and work alongside his (Jim’s) dreams and all of that. Then they became older and I decided to go back for my master’s degree at Bowling Green. The children and he were very supportive and encouraging,” Spiers said.
“I had to challenge myself, particularly when I became a mother to recognize that I couldn’t put all my energy into my career, I had to make sure I balanced that. When I was home, I had to be present. I was at home, not at work. My children were very important to me,” Spiers said.
Tracie Sanchez, owner Lima Pallet Company
Tracie Sanchez is the mother of three grown children and credits her mother for being a good role model. She said her mother taught her that family always comes first. “People come and go in your life, but your family is forever. And that money does not make you happy if you don’t have family and friends to share it with,” she said.
The Reason Why Strong Women Are Able to Do It
Ronda Lehman, president Mercy Health-Lima
Ronda Lehman is the mother of three children and credits her husband, Gerald, for supporting her through her career journey.
“He is the reason I’m able to do what I do. He is supportive of me, even when I have doubts and has been since the day we met,” Lehman said.
Jane Wood, president Bluffton University
Jane Wood is the mother of two adult daughters and her mother, Mary Ann Wood, was a big influence on her. Wood said that “trying to figure out how to do it all is always a juggling act for parents.”
“I think it is making sure that you’re setting your priorities the best that you can so if the house doesn’t always get cleaned, I figured it was way more important for me to be at one of my daughter’s tennis matches. I kept trying to say we don’t have to be perfect, we just want to be good people. And we want to live a life of kindness, caring and supporting each other in our dreams and goals,” Wood said.
Best Career Advice For Strong Women Balancing Career And Family
The best career advice Wood received came to her from an unnamed professor in college.
“She said ‘Women, you can get married, you can have a family and you can have a successful career. Just don’t plan on doing all three of them well at the same time.’ I think that realizing that you don’t have to be perfect at all three of them at the same time is really important and helpful. That there’s going to be times in your life when you know your children have to take absolute priority and times in your life when your marriage has to take priority. And times when you have to be willing to say — ‘this is my priority at this moment’,” Wood said.
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