Meet Sarah! | Stamford Moms

How many kids do you each have and what are their ages?
Two children, Peter (age 6) and Nathan (age 4).

What are your favorite family activities in Stamford?
We have really enjoyed exploring Stamford in our first year living here! We love going to Cove Island and West Beach. We also really enjoy the Stamford Nature Center, and most recently the brand new playground at the end of Courtland Avenue. Both of our boys love the libraries in Stamford, and we like going to Ferguson downtown and Harry Bennett too.

What do you love about Stamford?
We love the diversity. We love the city feel, but also having a taste of suburbia and neighborhoods. We love being so close to New York City and the Long Island Sound.

Tell us about your time in the Air Force.
I
 was in the Air Force from 2011 – 2016. I went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and was commissioned as an officer. I served as an intelligence officer and was stationed in San Angelo, TX, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, HI, and San Antonio, TX. Most of my work was focused on tasking and scheduling reconnaissance missions in the Pacific theater. I also deployed once in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan campaign) and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

What do you remember about the day you enlisted?
I commissioned as an officer, and my first day of basic training was intense. There was definitely a lot of yelling and a lot of things to memorize quickly.

Why did you  join the military?
When I was in high school I wanted to pursue something after college that “gave back” in some way. I grew up in the DC area, and was in middle school when the September 11th attacks took place. My family knew active duty military members in the Pentagon when it was hit by a hijacked airplane, and that left a deep impression on me too.

What are some of the things you do now to support veterans?
This is an area I can grow in, but helping organize this card project for Stark Elementary is a start. My husband is also a veteran and neither of us feel a need to be recognized. However, we have seen how special it makes Korean and Vietnam War veterans feel. Many of them received very poor treatment when they were actively serving. Remembering and recognizing them for what they did is so important.

What do you do to teach your children about the importance of Veterans Day?
Our boys naturally ask us a lot of questions about what we did in the Air Force and about the military in general. So it’s a topic we discuss regularly. Something as simple as this card project, to give cards from elementary students to Stamford veterans, is a practical way to teach them to thank veterans for their service.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
Children go through so many different phases. Oftentimes when you are going through a difficult phase and it feels like you’re at your whits end, you’re just on the cusp of turning the corner and seeing your child mature through a difficult challenge. So sometimes mothering can bring us to a breaking point, but it’s in those moments we see our children change and move past something. That makes it very hard but also very rewarding!

Join The Stamford Moms Network Community

Stay up-to-date with what is happening in-and-around the Stamford community with local events, community highlights, and exclusive deals.