Columbia Mom

Allison Linden is an Alabama native who moved to the Midlands in 2011 with her now husband, Darin. After marrying in 2015, Allison and Darin moved to Red Bank with their two dogs. In 2019, they welcomed a baby girl, Vivian. Allison has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and obtained her MBA in May 2019, while almost 8 months pregnant with Vivian. She has worked for a retail energy company since 2013 and began working from home during the pandemic. Her husband became a house spouse after the birth of Vivian to allow Allison to pursue her career goals. Balancing working at home and being a pandemic mom has been somewhat of a challenge for Allison, but she has thoroughly enjoyed watching her daughter grow up. Allison enjoys taking her daughter to Edventure, Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens (the garden is way cooler than people give it credit for), local parks, gymnastics, and dance class. When she is not working or momming, Allison enjoys exercising, binging true crime shows on Discovery+, and occasionally having dinner and drinks with friends.

Angie is a stepmother, pet mom, grandmother, and caregiver for her loving mother. She and her husband Marvin moved from Maryland to Columbia in 2020. She is a graduate of Talladega College (Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration) and Troy State University (Master of Business Administration), and works as a Senior Advisor with the Department of the Treasury. She is a certified intermittent fasting and health coach who has a passion to inspire women and men to live their healthiest selves. She is the founder of Commit 2B Healthy where she has spent years providing private nutrition counseling and group coaching programs. Beyond her private nutrition counseling and group coaching programs, she is a brand ambassador with Ultima Replenisher and a content creator with Shop Style Collective, the world’s largest fashion search engine. Angie enjoys cycling, reading, and self-care. Her latest passion is meditation, which she uses to unwind at the end of the day. She is eager to explore the city and share her experiences with the Columbia Mom community.

Brittany is a mom, wife, and outgoing introvert who recently moved to the Columbia area in 2022! She has lived in many different cities from the East Coast to the Midwest and is happy to now call Columbia home. Building a sense of community is one of the reasons she and her family decided to come to Columbia and why she is very excited to be a part of the Columbia Mom team. Physical and mental health is also very important to her. As a physical therapist, she has witnessed the powerful connection of the mind and body and how both need to be given the proper TLC. In her spare time, she enjoys perfecting the fine art of sleep procrastination, listening to podcasts or books on tape, doing anything active, and adding unnecessary items to her Amazon cart. Photo by: Zach and Sarah Photography

Caitlyn is a Columbia native and a graduate of Richland County School District One. After high school she built a career as a nationally certified optician and contact lens technician. Caitlyn studied Mandarin Chinese as a part of a Christian Outreach Program which gave her the opportunity to complete missionary trips to San Francisco, New York, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Belize. The birth of her daughter in the Spring of 2020 inspired her to pursue her dream career of becoming a published author. Her daily struggles as a new mother with a chronic illness in the midst of a pandemic lead to the creation of her children’s book Some Days at the beginning of 2021. She then launched her own publishing company Artist Madrid Books with the goal to help other local aspiring authors accomplish their publishing goals. She loves spending time in nature with her husband, daughter, family, and friends. When not busy navigating motherhood, being a small business owner, entrepreneur, and student, she enjoys exploring her creative talents.

Originally from Indiana, Carey moved to South Carolina in 2009. She and her husband, Brett, met during college at USC and now reside in Forest Acres. She is an elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom to two wonderful boys. After struggling with infertility for years, their son, Milo, joined their family in November of 2017 through domestic adoption. In March of 2020 baby River joined the family via embryo adoption. In addition to being a SAHM, Carey works in Social Media Management, is a babywearing educator, and a postpartum doula. She enjoys writing, iced coffee, road trips, and connecting with other mamas online. Her passions include adoption ethics and education, infertility, mental health advocacy, plus size life, and social justice issues. You can follow Carey’s motherhood journey and more on Instagram at MessyAsAMother.

Elizabeth is a South Carolina native who has lived in the Lowcountry, Midlands, and Upstate. She grew up in Greenville but has called the Midlands home since 2004. Elizabeth attended USC and graduated in 2013 with a degree in English Literature. She met her husband, Matt, in 2009 and they married in 2016. Her daughter Molly was born in July of 2019. After college, she had administrative jobs until transitioning to a stay-at-home mom once Molly was born. When needed she helps her husband run his business where he refinishes and installs hardwood flooring. Their rescue dog, Beatrice, has been part of the family for 11 years. They enjoy many trips to Riverbanks Zoo and the great parks in the Irmo area.  A fun fact about Elizabeth is she has played bagpipes for 20 years. She has played at all types of events ranging from parades and weddings to Carolina and Clemson football games. Currently, her main hobby is watching Netflix after her daughter goes to bed as well as the occasional trip to Target by herself.

Ella Shawn is a contemporary women's fiction writer with a fondness for complex characters and happily-ever-afters. She also produces a podcast aptly named, Enchanted BEAST Podcast where she elevates, encourages, and empowers women to connect with their higher self and live the enchanted lifestyle they deserve to live. And because she's a mommy of three beautiful daughters, she writes for a mommy blog once a month. If she's not writing, podcasting, or blogging; then you can probably find her sitting in her favorite chair with a ball of yarn, her wooden crochet hooks making something bohemian-inspired for her Etsy shop, Browns-n-Barnacles PCD. Ella married the boy she fell in love with during her senior year of high school. They started dating in 1992 and either they both were too lazy to look for other options or were lucky enough to find their happily-ever-after at the age of seventeen. Ella says it the enduring love she shares with her husband that allows her to write romance novels with hard-won HEAs.

Heather Blanton Burns lives in Columbia with her husband and daughter. Natives of South Carolina, they love taking road trips to visit family, as well as spending time at the lakes, beaches and mountains nearby. Heather is a Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Certified Gentle Sleep Coach. She received her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston and her doctoral degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She cares for children of all ages at a small pediatric practice locally. She founded a small business, Cultivating Bright Futures, in 2020 to support mothers through education and provide encouragement for mothers at every step along their motherhood journey. When she’s not working, Heather enjoys reading, spending quality time with family and friends, staying involved in the community through Junior League, eating delicious food at local restaurants, checking out local events in Columbia and staying active through walking, yoga and barre. 

Jessica Vann is a wife, mother, friend, and licensed professional counselor in private practice in Columbia. Jessica is a military brat who has called Charleston home for 14 years, where she graduated from Stratford High. She attended Winthrop University, where she met her husband; she paid him no attention then. It was not until they reconnected in 2011 that they were swept away in a whirlwind romance that resulted in their oldest son Jackson in 2012. Carl & Jessica were married in 2014 and are the proud parent of two beautiful children, Jackson & Streater! Jessica firmly believes that moms are the backbone of the family and worthy of respite. They are many things, mother, partner, lover, friend, and sexual being. We no longer have to struggle to be good moms but can be T.R.A.S.H. moms, thoughtful, rested, accountable, secure, and happy, as we lean into our brand of motherhood!

Adding twists and turns to the rollercoaster that is life, Jocelyn is a wife who recently became a new mother to a now six-month-old baby boy. Not long ago, she earned her Master's Degree in Library and Information Science and worked full-time as a children's librarian. Now, she is transitioning to stay-at-home life where she's excited to see what happens next on her journey through motherhood and in life. Although she is no longer working as a librarian, you can trust that she still has a few favorite books to recommend! Jocelyn has also volunteered with Girls Rock Columbia as both a workshop leader and briefly as a board member, and she is also a twice-published author in the library world, in addition to recently being featured on the cover of Library Journal with some of her former colleagues for their work promoting racial equity. Jocelyn loves photography, horror movies (honestly, the scarier, the better!), spicy food (the spicier, the better!), barre classes, spa days, and cuddling with her baby.  

Wildly in love with her perfectly imperfect life, Kathy’s been married to her most favorite person in the world, “The Professor,” for 14 years. They moved to Columbia from Atlanta seven years ago and are enjoying raising their two girls, Gracie (12½) and Tate (10) here. After undergrad and her MBA, Kathy worked in Corporate America for 10 years before retiring to work full-time for the girls. Most recently, she was a grant writer at a college here in town, but had to leave that job when her family moved to New Zealand for six months for The Professor’s sabbatical. She started her blog, Kathy Goes Kiki, to document that amazing adventure, but now she’s home and trying to figure out what to do with her life. Again. Probably the loudest and most foul-mouthed introvert you’ll ever meet, she can usually be found curled up with a trashy romance novel, on the tennis court, at her awesome gym, or drinking wine with people she loves.

Katrina is a mom of three great kids and has been married to her first love for more than 10 years. She’s grateful to have a job that allows her the flexibility to both work from home some days and in the office others. On the surface, Katrina is pretty crunchy – she loved breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping, natural birth, and the idea of homeschooling — but still loved her stroller, having her kids in their own beds at some point, her epidural was fantastic, and she’s sending the kids through public school. Most of all she loves the fact that we have all these choices, which makes life interesting! One of her favorite experiences was moving to Japan in 2002 to live as an adult dependent with her USMC family. It was an amazing experience, and if it weren’t for that, she probably wouldn’t ever have met her husband.

Kristi is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer, and former public school teacher for English for Speakers of Other Languages. She grew up all over the United States as an Air Force brat, but moved to Columbia in the 1990s to attend Columbia International University, and has called the Midlands “home” ever since. Her days are kept full with the antics and activities of her children - homeschooling, church activities, American Heritage Girls, and Trail Life - as well as writing and leading her Columbia-based pregnancy loss ministry, Naomi’s Circle. Kristi is a contributing editor for  Rainbows and Redemption: Encouragement for the Journey of Pregnancy After Loss and a co-author of Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother. She shares her thoughts about faith, family, and femininity on her blog, This Side of Heaven.

Kristie is new to Columbia but isn't far from home. Originally from Virginia, Kristie is an Army wife and mother to four amazing children ranging in ages 13 to 2. Kristie serves the Midlands as a certified full spectrum doula and is currently attending Midlands Technical College to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. Kristie works alongside her 13-year-old daughter who is the founder of Pad Packs for Girls, a non-profit organization that provides feminine hygiene products to girls in need. When Kristie isn't helping a birthing person or tagging along with her kiddos in all the things they have going on, you can find her nose deep in a fantasy novel or exploring a new part of Columbia with her family. 

Lisa is a transplant from the Midwest. She was born and raised in Kansas (yes, she has seen a tornado) and spent a few years in Ohio before moving to South Carolina in 2014. She holds a degree in Biology and works as a research assistant at the USC School of Medicine. Her career in science spans 11 years and she can't imagine a job anywhere else. She has also been married to her college sweetheart for 11 years. He is a professor at USC, so they are Gamecock fans by default. They are proud parents to a spunky 2.5 year old girl who keeps them on their toes. As a family, they enjoy being outside in the wonderful southern sun, gardening, playing tennis, and going to the beach. They also are parents to two fur babies who still aren't sure about their little sister.

Luz has been happily married for seven years and is a proud mom to three girls, four years and under. She is originally from Mexico but has lived in Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina. South Carolina has been her family's home for almost two years (but they have been in Columbia only six months, so she is eager to explore all the city and its surroundings have to offer). So far, she has really enjoyed going to the Riverfront Park, picking strawberries at different farms, eating ice cream at Rosewood Dairy Bar, and going to events at the State Fairgrounds. She is a stay-at-home mom, avid churchgoer, and community helper. Some of her passions include reading, cooking/baking, listening to music, learning new languages, exercising by watching fitness videos, and traveling. She recently started to learn all about gardening and loves it (it has turned into a family activity for the weekends).

Marissa was born in Charleston, South Carolina on Sept, 27, 1986 to James Sweat and the late Tracy Graham. She is the youngest girl of six, two sisters and three brothers. She grew up in Holly Hill, and graduated from Holly Hill Roberts High. Marissa furthered her education at Midlands Technical College, receiving a certificate in Early Childhood Education in 2017 and an associate degree in Early Childhood Education in 2018. She has been married for seven years to her husband Terence Evans. Together they have three children (Jaylen, Jada and Ny’Asia Evans). Her oldest and only boy, Jaylen, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. Marissa and her husband are also the founders of the movement #Dontstare which is to raise awareness to how rude staring can be.

Mee Jean is a mom of three who is married to her high school sweetheart. A native from Atlanta, Mee Jean holds a Journalism degree from the University of Georgia while her husband, Greg, graduated from The University of South Carolina (House Divided!). Together, they have three children: Alyssa (8), Jacob (7) and Isaac (1). Once wondering how she could live in a small town like Columbia, she now embraces it and loves her home in Blythewood. Working as a marketing analyst at BlueCross BlueShield, she loves being involved in the community and making Columbia the best place for her kids. As a graduate from the Leadership Columbia Class of 2017, she has learned a lot about Columbia. Mee Jean loves hanging out with her girlfriends, reading, watching Georgia football, running races (5ks or Spartans), taking pictures and making memories (lots of selfies and hashtags) and relaxing with some wine by the pool. 

Melanie McGehee never knew she wanted to be a mom. Even marriage caught her somewhat by surprise, in spite of the fact that she met husband Andy through a matchmaking service. She thanked eharmony by writing about that experience for an anthology, A Cup of Comfort for Women in Love. Almost two years to the day after marrying him, she stared at two pink lines and wondered aloud, “Is this okay?” His response, “Kind of late to be asking that now.” It was a bit late – in life. But at the advanced maternal age of 35, she delivered by surprise at 35 weeks and an emergency C-section, a healthy baby boy. Ian, like Melanie, is an only child. She’s written much about him during her years with the blog, but he’s now a teenager. Please, don’t do the math. It’s true. Momming in middle age is the best!

Rhonda is a licensed professional realtor who services clients in South Carolina with their home buying and home selling needs. Married to her husband Jermaine now for 5 years who serves as an active-duty officer in the US Army, Rhonda has made Columbia her home after attending USC. Being a blended family (on both sides) with a household of four children under the age of ten, “we have to master chaos and schedules at all times.” Rhonda is passionate about breaking ceilings in the motherhood community that pushes women to have transparent and vulnerable conversations about their motherhood journey. She uses her podcast called “The Mom Mic” to highlight everyday moms through topics and conversations that are sometimes seen as uncomfortable. Rhonda is also an advocate for wellness and taking the natural healing journey to restore and revitalize the body. You can often find Rhonda practicing Yoga, meditating, listening to her favorite podcast on Apple Tunes, shopping, interior decorating stores, and spending time with her close friends and family. 

Shacoya is a devoted wife, mother of an Âûsome son (‘16) and vivacious daughter (‘19), and caretaker of her loving mother. Columbia became her home after surviving sunburn and mosquito bites to meet and fall in love with her husband while they were working at the Riverbanks Zoo gift shop. Her love of writing began when she won the Young Author’s Award in the fourth grade and culminated in her writing a 50,000+ word novel in 30 days for the annual National Novel Writing Month challenge, NaNoWriMo, in 2019. Along with writing, Shacoya also enjoys the art of fake 'n bakin’ (making premade ingredients taste like homemade), developing the skill of actually using the pins on her Pinterest boards, fangirling Richland Library, window shopping on Etsy, and learning about ways to be a better human being.

Simone is a wife and bestest friend in the world to Otis (better known as Odor) and mom to football and soccer-loving Grayson 12, competitive cheerleader Elind 7, and tantrum expert Ozzy Voltaire, 2. She is a native of New Jersey but relocated to Key West and later Columbia. As an overachiever, she believes learning is the best gift she can give her children and spends much of her time teaching her children at home (Grayson attends school, but the learning doesn't end when he leaves the classroom). Simone finds motherhood and family life are most easily managed by having a system in place for home life, kids' schedules (including learning, screen time, and reading), and meal planning. She is an avid reader who finds books are one of the best ways to unwind at the end of the day. She spends a lot of time boxing and at Pure Barre getting her burn on. You'll often find her buried in a book or on Pinterest getting ideas for her next project or yummy meals for the family menu.

What do you get when you take an unapologetic Jersey girl and sprinkle her with an extra portion of South Carolina roots, one Stephanie L. West. After 49 years of living in New Jersey, Stephanie and her family relocated to Columbia in 2019. Stephanie is an educator, with over 20 years of experience, who received her Bachelor’s degree in English Education and her Master’s in Education Administration. While currently employed with Richland 2 school district, Stephanie has worked in elementary, middle, high school, and college. She is the mother of two very active children that keep her on her toes, Justin, her football and soccer playing 13-year-old son and Jordan her 10-year-old budding scientist daughter. When not attending one of her children’s events you will find Stephanie at yoga, reading about aromatherapy or herbalism, or trying out a new cupcake or vegan recipe. Stephanie loves all things outdoors, except the bugs, and when she finds a way to avoid those she would have truly found nirvana.

Tania was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. Over the years she has lived in Africa, and Texas before moving to Columbia, SC in 2014. She met her husband Roger who is a local pharmacist and a small business owner and found a reason to stay in Columbia. She is mom to Darniel (15), Elton (4), and auntie to Jaylon (8). Tania has a passion for helping people understand their current financial picture so they can live better now while planning for their future. She takes any opportunity she can to educate people on financial literacy topics which is why she has been featured on CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and other financial press. After years of working for some of the big money management firms, she decided to take a leap of faith to start her own financial planning and wealth management firm. Tania loves to serve others and currently volunteers for a couple of nonprofits that support economic empowerment. Tania and her family enjoy the outdoors and mini-vacations.