First Lady & Friends

Latest Episodes:

Dustin Smith on developing socially responsible athletes that can make a difference Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Dustin Smith (Founder and President of Especially for Athletes) to talk about the inspiration behind creating E4A, the need to develop socially responsible athletes who can make a difference in the lives of others, and understanding the impact that social media can have on our teenagers.

We also dive into various ways to target high school culture to promote positive change, the inspiration that comes from integrating unified sports into high school athletics, and addressing the issues in society through service.

To learn more about Especially for Athletes you can visit: https://e4a.org/

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Effecting societal change for child sexual abuse with Kacie Malouf and Dr. Susan Madsen Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Dr. Susan Madsen (Founder and Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project and Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership) and Kacie Malouf (Malouf Foundation Chair) to talk about the upcoming symposium, "Effecting Societal Change for Child Sexual Abuse", on October 26th that Saprea will host.

We also talk about how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have a dramatic impact on how our youth face adversity, why it's so imperative that we promote social change to keep our kids safer by preventing abuse, and how to develop the skills as parents that can help us build the lines of communication and trust with our children.

Then we talk about the effects that benevolent sexism can have on young women and how to give survivors the tools and support they need to heal.

You can also learn more about the Saprea-hosted symposium here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/effecting-societal-change-for-child-sexual-abuse-tickets-410900573677

To learn more about the Malouf Foundation, you can visit their website here: https://www.malouffoundation.org/

For more information regarding Utah State University's Utah Women & Leadership Project, you can visit: https://www.usu.edu/uwlp/

You can also visit Saprea at:
https://saprea.org/

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Miss America 2022, Emma Broyles, talks about her passion for Unified Sports and becoming Miss America Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Emma Broyles (Miss America 2022) to talk about growing up in Anchorage, AL, how her close bond with her older brother Brendan, who has Down syndrome, helped drive her passion for creating deep connections through Unified Sports based on inclusion and empathy, and different ways that we can make Special Olympics even better.

Emma also opens up about being the first Korean-American & Alaskan to become Miss America and some of the skills she's learned along her journey the past year.

You can learn more about Emma and her work with Special Olympics here:

Special Olympics | Emma Broyles

You can also find Emma on Instagram at @emmabroyles_

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Unified Sports in Utah, Showing Up for our Teachers, and Care Communities in foster care with Kirsten and Sarah Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Kirsten Rappleye (Director of First Lady’s Initiatives) and Sarah Allred (Deputy Director of First Lady's Initiatives) to recap some of the latest updates in our lives including a couple of visits to the emergency room, our favorite unified sports events that we've been to this year, and some of the upcoming unified sports events that are coming up.

Then we recap this year's Show Up For Teachers Conference, how we can continue to show support for our educators, and how the community helped contribute to an amazing event for teachers throughout the state this year.

We also talk about the idea of Care Communities helping address some of the complex issues surrounding foster care, why we need to continue raising awareness for the foster care community, and some highlights from the Summer of Service.

To learn more about getting involved with unified sports, you can visit the official Show Up website here https://www.showuputah.org/unified-sports.

You can also learn more about Unified Sports in Utah by visiting the official website here https://www.uhsaa.org/unified/.

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Brittney Cummins on teacher salaries, lasting effects from the pandemic, and preparing graduates for the world Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Brittney Cummins(Senior Advisor for Education to Governor Cox) to talk about Brittney's childhood growing up in England, what inspired her to pursue education, as well as some of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of being an educator.

We also dive into the need to come together as teachers and parents to help create the best learning environment for the student, some of the best ways to get involved with your local education community, and how teacher salaries are calculated in the state.

Then we talk about the state's work in equalization efforts that bring more equality to generating local tax revenue throughout the districts, how to address some of the trauma that has been introduced to our students and teachers due to the pandemic, and some of the qualities that districts are trying to engrain into students to help set them up for success in the real world.

The books talked about this week are:

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

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Karin Brown shares how we can come together and better serve our communities in Utah Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Karin Brown(@The.AwesomeProject on Instagram) to talk about Karin's work with raising awareness of weekly volunteer/service opportunities within the state, how communities are hungry to help others following the peak of the pandemic, and why service projects to provide students with school supplies and backpacks is essential for preparing them for the upcoming school year.

We also talk about the potential pitfalls associated with social media, particularly in relation to our youth, getting proximate with other users on the platform, and the real power of just reaching out to people and helping them with whatever they may be struggling with.

You can visit Karin's Instagram to learn about upcoming service projects at @The.AwesomeProject.

You can also stay up-to-date on service-related projects for our refugee communities within the state through the Utah Refugee Connection at https://serverefugees.org/serve/.

The books we talked about today were The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson and Salt To The Sea by Ruta Sepetys.

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Marni Allred talks about the library's influence on a student's learning journey Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Marianna “Marni” Allred (Media Specialist for Robert Frost Elementary) to talk about Marni's passion for reading while living on a 50-acre farm, some of Marni's favorite childhood books and authors growing up that helped her imagination flourish, and some of the trends that Marni is seeing when it comes to children adapting to an ever-evolving way to consume literature.

We also dive into the support staff shortage that many schools are currently experiencing throughout the state, the influence that a library can have on a student, and the incredibly difficult challenges that teachers are currently facing.

Marni also explains the impact that having a parent being a teacher for a day could have on the parent-teacher relationship and why teachers need more commitment from parents to provide a better learning experience for the student.

The books mentioned during the show can be found below:

The Golden Name Day (Jennie D Lindquist, Garth Williams)
What About Worms?! (Ryan T. Higgins)
I Can Only Draw Worms (Will Mabbit)
The Ruth Galloway Novels (Elly Griffiths)
She's Up to No Good (Sara Goodman Confino)

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Higher education, Utah's housing market, and addressing domestic violence with Neil Abercrombie Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Neil Abercrombie (Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs & Policy) who talks about how growing up in Aberdeen, Idaho helped introduced him to the idea of community, why he's so passionate about Utah State University and his time there, as well as his decision to pursue working with Governor Cox's administration.

We also talk about some of the issues that many students graduating today are experiencing, how technology has made an impact on the student's collegiate experience following the recent pandemic, and various ways that universities can help address the mental health crisis on campuses across the state.

Lastly, we dive into what it's going to take to address the struggles that many potential new home buyers are experiencing in the current housing market and Neil's work with preventing domestic violence within Utah.

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Principal Milton Collins on creating powerful human connections at Lincoln Elementary Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Milton Collins (Principal - Lincoln Elementary School) to talk about Milton's upbringing in Charleston, Mississippi, getting recruited to play college basketball at Rust College, and some life-changing lessons that he learned from his late mother throughout the years.

Milton also shares the story of earning his first job in education as a third-grade teacher in Illinois, finding his passion for teaching, and the meeting that got him recruited to become a principal in Utah.

Then we talk about various ways that we can help support our teachers in Utah, how Milton is developing powerful relationships with the students at Lincoln Elementary, and why it's imperative that we create an environment where all of our students can feel represented and connected to each other.

To learn more about Lincoln Elementary, you can visit their website here: https://schools.graniteschools.org/lincoln/

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Alexa Lou Olson on receiving the MVE award and empowering students through inclusion Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Alexa Lou Olson (Teacher at Bountiful High School) to talk about Alexa's passion for education, how feeling excluded in PE growing up led her to pursue an education in kinesiology, and the people in her life who helped her find success during her collegiate years.

We also dive into Alexa being honored as a Utah Jazz "Most Valuable Educator" through Instructure, the impact that an educator can have on a student's ability and passion for learning, and the hardships that educators and students are both experiencing right now during such a tumultuous time.

Then we talk about the support that Bountiful High has received for its Unified Sports team, how the team has made an impact on the culture of the school, and some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the job of an educator.

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