PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University presented the 2005 Mom of the Year Award to Richmond, Calif., resident Charlotte L. Kirton during the annual Mom’s Weekend Brunch on Saturday, April 9.
Kirton was nominated by her son, David Zamon Williams, a doctoral student at WSU.
Williams wrote in his nomination that his mother “epitomizes perseverance and embodies dedication” in her journey from being a homeless single parent with a 10th-grade education to sending her three children to college and pursuing her own medical degree in geriatrics.
That journey included opening a nonambulatory non-profit for geriatrics and homeless women, Tender Touch Inc., in 1996 in
One of Williams’ best memories is of being able to give his mom the prom she did not have as a teenager. He and his sister asked her to the prom, and David spent the night “dancing with my first love, my mother.”
He notes that she has consistently been a support for him, advising him that academic achievement was the best way for him to help others achieve their own dreams. Williams said he wants, through this award, to give his mother “something all children want to give their mothers: praise for the love given unselfishly.”
The Mom of the Year nomination is a process that allows students to acknowledge the impact their mothers make on their lives, to honor their personal achievements and to recognize the diverse contributions these women bring to their communities. This program is coordinated by the Mom’s Weekend Committee.
