Columbia Mom

Alika Schwartz is a proud Army spouse, veteran, and mother to three. A paralegal by trade with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Administration. Alika enjoys creating affordable ways for her children to learn and express themselves. As a military spouse, there is something about turning the ordinary into extraordinary, filling her home with love, laughter, and memories. She loves crafting, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. You can follow Alika on Instagram @sincerely.schwartz. Photo Credit: Mary Coule photography

Brooke is many things, but normal is not one of them! She’s a native of SC who was raised in Bamberg and has been living in Columbia since 2017. She’s a Mom of 3 amazing kids. Brooke and her husband Chris married in 2014. Together, they’ve become avid advocates for autism awareness in support of their son Will. Brooke holds a Masters in Information Technology and works as an IT Security Risk Analyst. In addition to her love for writing, Brooke also loves running, bow hunting, and tattoos. She’s a Christian who’s definitely not without flaw, a survivor, and an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In her spare time she writes for her blog at BrookeMcAlhaney and feeds her social media obsession on Facebook.

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.

Caitlyn is a Florida native, but now home is wherever the Air Force sends them. She resides in NE Columbia with her husband Josh, daughter Chloe, and sons Daniel and Levi. They also have a spoiled yellow lab named Zoe. Caitlyn holds a B.A. in Rehabilitation Services/Psychology and a Masters in School Counseling with an urban focus. Before kids she loved her work as a school counselor in Title 1 elementary schools. Now as a stay at home mom Caitlyn enjoys spreading autism awareness through writing, baking, and chasing after three kids while drinking large amounts of coffee.

Hi, I’m Dani! I’m an engineer turned clinical research scientist. My husband and I met through our mutual love of all things nerdy. We married in 2017 and recently started growing our family. Our first child was born three days into the start of the new decade. Just as we were ready to start bringing her out into the world, the pandemic hit. Finding communities online has been the perfect way for me to feel less alone in new motherhood and the wonderful, emotional, exhausting, and sometimes terrifying experiences that come with it. Columbia Mom =was one of these communities. In April 2021, I joined as a contributor. I will use my background in engineering and science to provide unique activities that I hope you and your children will love. I believe in honestly sharing the “good, bad, funny, frustrating, beautiful, and messy” parts of our new parenthood journey, so in this little corner of the internet, you might relate to something and feel connected and empowered.

DeShea has lived in South Carolina her whole life but moved to the Midlands in 2010 to attend Columbia College. She received her BA in Liberal Arts studying Speech-Language Pathology. After graduating she began working with families to help them navigate their Autism and Early Intervention journeys. She and her husband, Ryan, have been married since 2015. Once having her first daughter, Savannah, in 2018 see decided to become a full-time wife and mom in 2002. Their second daughter, Sayler joined their family in 2021.  DeShea enjoys reading, watching Georgia football with her husband and girls, visiting the mountains, and attending weekly Bible study to help her grow and share God's word with other women.

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.

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.

Kelly moved from Indiana to Columbia six years ago for her husband’s job. He works for the Fireflies...let’s glow! They have one son, Callan, who is almost five, and one furbaby, Eddie, who is six. Their son Cal was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder a little over a year ago. For the past couple of years, their life has been consumed with all things therapy related. Columbia and the surrounding area (Kelly lives in Chapin) has truly been a wonderful place to call home. They’ve met the most amazing people, have attended a wonderful church, and have found a deep love for this special place for reasons she never would have guessed! 

Kelsey Arender is a Lexington native who fell in love with her work in libraries in 2012. Prior to her recent career change, you could find her at the public library's children department. Now, she happily works in a middle school library. On the weekends, Kelsey and her husband, William, enjoy watching reruns of their favorite TV shows, attending church, and reading with their one-year-old daughter. Kelsey's favorite things include endless mugs of coffee, cozy sweaters, rainy days, and laughing with friends. She may be an introvert but if you start a conversation about personality types, toddlers, or hygge, you'll make a fast friend. You can find her hanging on Instagram at @we_all_get_sleepy. 

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.

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. 

Megan lives in Chapin, SC, with her husband, Paul, and their boys, Jackson (5) and Colton (2). Originally from the Midwest, Megan has had the opportunity to call Ohio, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas all home. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University (Bachelor’s in Sport Management) and the University of Florida (Master’s in Higher Education). After a 10-year career in athletics marketing and career development, Megan now gets to do life every day with her boys and has found freedom in pursuing her passion for writing. Megan also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of South Carolina in the Sport & Entertainment Management Department. She and her family have lived in SC for four years, and they love to spend time enjoying the outdoors. Megan is a health, wellness, and clean beauty advocate; she loves reading, running and being active with her incredibly energetic boys! You can also follow along Megan’s motherhood journey at: www.jackandcolt.com, which she hopes serves as inspiration for anyone who is also bravely rewriting their own story.

Melanie has a southern drawl that matches her pace of life. Slow and steady wins the race. You might find her sipping a coffee (that husband Andy made for her,) rocking a baby (at Brookland Academy,) or watching a history video (with middle school son Ian.) She sometimes writes about children at www.beingmissmelanie.com and often shares the whimsy of girlhood found in Matilda Jane Clothing.

Growing up in a small town in India, Mona Verma never dreamed that she would immigrate to America. She came to Columbia in 1996 when her husband found a job here and they were newly married. It was an arranged match but she did get to meet her future husband and give her approval and there has never been a shortage of love in their marriage. With a Masters in English and a Masters in Library and Information Science, Mona divides her time between being a part time Reference librarian and a part time writer. She is however, a full time mom to three teenagers, a girl and two boys. Volunteering, gardening, reading, binge watching her favorite TV shows and drinking wine with girlfriends spark tremendous joy in her. She is a very laid back person who likes to live and let live. Cups of hot ginger tea and hugs and cuddles from her family keep her going….

Ronisha is a native of Columbia, and has lived here most of my life, apart from a short-lived US Army career. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration, and works as a Software Specialist for a local non-profit. Ronisha is a single parent to one daughter – Trinity (2013), who has a love for visiting local attractions such as Riverbanks Zoo, EdVenture, and the South Carolina State Museum. She is good at doing lots of little things, but claims to be the master of nothing. Her passions are cooking things her child will never eat, and baking things that she eats too much of. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, coffee, discovering local food, and traveling. Family is very important and she tries to spend as much time as she can with her extended family as"the fun auntie!" Her blog Ro Made It gives way too much information about her life, but it is such a fun ride! 

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.

Sharmen Oswald is a South Carolina native and wife of thirty-seven years to a retired Army National Guard veteran and policeman. In addition to wife, Sharmen fills many roles: mother to four grown children (the last one in college), teacher librarian to middle schoolers, past caretaker of aging parents and teacher of Sunday School. She has two degrees from the University of South Carolina in Library and Information Science and a degree also from USC in English Literature. One of her passions is seeing students connect with the “perfect fit book”. She also loves to read aloud to people of all ages and stages, including the elderly. Gardening, storytelling, writing and photography are what she enjoys doing when she is not teaching. In addition to humans in her family there are also Hugo and Heidi, two rescue dogs, and Simon, a rescue FIV positive cat. Sharmen belongs to the Foothills Writers Guild and Pegasus Poetry group which she meets regularly by Zoom. 

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.

Tasheena is a California native who moved to Columbia in the Fall of 2018. She has been married to her college sweetheart since 2013 and together they’re raising two feisty little girls. Tasheena has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a minor degree in Child and Family Science. She worked as a kindergarten teacher until her second daughter was born in 2017 and she transitioned to life as a stay-at-home mom. Although being home full time has its challenges, she loves being her girls’ first teacher and experiencing the world their eyes. Tasheena enjoys yoga, impromptu dance parties, exploring the community, solo trips to the grocery store, and sharing pieces of her life on her blog, The Cinnamon Mom. With so many transplant families in Columbia, she hopes to share a newcomer’s perspective and connect with more mommies in the area!

Tawanda is a mom, wife, social worker, and lover of jazz Christmas music, Hallmark Holiday movies, and all things that take place in autumn. She met her wife in 2013 and they have been together every day since - literally! They have two children and two fur babies, and are preparing her home to become foster parents. The journey of a two-mom family can look a little different, but Twanda is open, transparent, and true about the ups and downs, showing hard times but also teaching and learning as we all figure out this blessing (but not so easy journey) called parenting. 

Valerie Byrd Fort was born in Florida, but when she was four years old, her family moved to the midlands and never looked back. She is mom to Katy (human) and to Lucky, Mozzy, and Penny (rescue dogs). She is married to Marty Fort, owner of the Lexington School of Music, Columbia Arts Academy, and Irmo Music Academy. She is an Instructor for the School of Library & Information Science at the University of South Carolina, where she teaches Children’s Literature to future classroom teachers and librarians. She is also Coordinator for Cocky's Reading Express, the University of South Carolina's literacy outreach program. Valerie is passionate about books, literacy, libraries, and reading aloud with children of ALL ages. She writes about books and other literacy related topics on her blog, Library Goddess. In her free time, Valerie enjoys reading, Barre3, going to Target and endless scrolling of social media