A national organization devoted to celebrating U.S. mothers has recently crowned a Colorado Springs resident as the Colorado Mother of the Year for 2024.
Magan Grigg, who works as the in-house Occupational Physician Assistant for Colorado Springs Utilities, has been chosen as the latest honoree for Colorado, as announced in a press release by American Mothers, Inc.
Expressing her surprise, Grigg, a mother of three, stated, “I was shocked when I heard. I’m thankful that people feel I’m deserving, but there are a lot of mothers out there who are probably just as deserving.”
Every year, American Mothers, Inc. evaluates nominations from all over the U.S. and recognizes a Mother of the Year from each state. With a history spanning over 90 years, the organization has had notable figures like Sarah Delano Roosevelt, J.C. Penney, and former U.S. First Ladies Mamie Eisenhower and Hillary Rodham Clinton among its past leaders, members, and supporters.
Grigg, aged 33, was nominated for the award by her former professor, Jennifer Harrington, who herself was honored as Kentucky’s Mother of the Year in 2017.
Harrington praised the selection process of American Mothers, Inc., stating, “(American Mothers, Inc.) does a really great job of picking moms who are not just doing mom things — although that can be a big job by itself — but are also serving their communities and making other people’s lives better. That’s why I thought Magan was a great candidate.”
In her role as the in-house physician assistant at Colorado Springs Utilities, Grigg attends to employees with work-related injuries and illnesses, as well as oversees medical surveillance programs for the staff.
“Our utility workers are ‘industrial athletes,’ working a job that’s physically demanding and high-risk, doing the work that provides us with water, gas, waste water, and electricity,” she explained. “I enjoy helping them.”
Despite the demands of raising three young children, Grigg’s compassion extends beyond her home life. In April 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic peak, she volunteered in New York City, providing medical care in field hospitals in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Upon her return to Colorado, she volunteered with International Medical Relief in Denver, caring for homeless patients in temporary housing.
Apart from her dedication as a mother, Grigg is known for utilizing her medical expertise to assist those in need. She has organized pop-up clinics during mission trips to underserved communities in Haiti, Peru, and Guatemala, where basic medications are scarce.
Grigg will represent Colorado at the AMI National Mothers Convention in Omaha, where the 2024 National Mother of the Year will be chosen and announced on April 27.
Expressing her gratitude, Grigg shared, “I’m really humbled by this award. It shows me that someone recognizes the impact I’m trying to make in the community, and in the world.”