Colorado Springs woman named Colorado Mother of the Year by national organization
A national organization dedicated to honoring U.S. mothers recently named a Colorado Springs resident as its Colorado Mother of the Year for 2024.
Magan Grigg, who serves as the in-house occupational physician assistant for Colorado Springs Utilities, was tapped as the latest Colorado honoree, according to a news release from American Mothers, Inc.
“I was shocked when I heard,” said Grigg, a mother of three. “I’m thankful that people feel I’m deserving, but there are a lot of mothers out there who are probably just as deserving.”
Each year, American Mothers, Inc. reviews nominations from across the U.S. and honors a Mother of the Year from each state. The organization has been honoring U.S. mothers for more than 90 years, according to its website, and counts Sarah Delano Roosevelt, J.C. Penney, and U.S. first ladies Mamie Eisenhower and Hillary Rodham Clinton among its former leaders, members and supporters.
Grigg, 33, was nominated for the award by her former professor, Jennifer Harrington, who was named Kentucky’s Mother of the Year in 2017.
Magan Grigg poses for a portrait in her home.
“(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,” Harrington said. “That’s why I thought Magan was a great candidate.”
As Colorado Springs Utilities’ in-house physician assistant, Grigg cares for employees who suffer from on-the-job injuries and illnesses, and manages employees’ medical surveillance programs.
“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 said. “I enjoy helping them.”
As the mother of three small children Grigg’s home life is a busy one, but her caring instinct extends beyond the home — sometimes far beyond.
In April 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she traveled to New York City, where she served on the rapid-response teams that provided medical care on field hospitals in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Upon returning to Colorado, she volunteered with International Medical Relief in Denver, where she cared for homeless patients living in temporary housing.
Magan Grigg was recently named Colorado’s 2024 Mother of the Year by American Mothers, a national organization that annually honors a standout mom from each state.
“In addition to being a mom, Magan focuses a lot on using her medical skills to help people,” Harrington said.
That includes operating pop-up clinics on several mission trips to poverty-stricken communities in Haiti, Peru, and Guatemala, where access to even basic medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen is limited.
“It’s fulfilling because it satisfies my inner desire to care for people who need help,” said Grigg, who also volunteers at her church nursery. “But more than that, I come away with a huge sense of humility and thankfulness for what I have.
“We are so blessed in this country. If the average American goes to a clinic and is only given Tylenol or ibuprofen for a problem, they might feel like they haven’t been properly served. But these people are so grateful for the medicines and education we can give them. It really renews my desire to continue practicing medicine.”
Grigg will represent Colorado at the AMI National Mothers Convention in Omaha, where the 2024 National Mother of the Year will be selected and named on April 27, officials said.
“I’m really humbled by this award, and grateful,” she said. “It shows me that someone recognizes the impact I’m trying to make in the community, and in the world.”
Magan Grigg and her three children pose for a portrait in their backyard on Saturday. Grigg recently was named Colorado’s 2024 Mother of the Year by American Mothers, a national organization that annually honors a standout mom from each state.