Pensacola Times

Escambia County Fire Rescue is excited to announce that Cheyann Smith, volunteer firefighter and mother of two, has been named the 2023 Florida Mother of the Year by the American Mothers organization. Smith will be recognized during the American Mothers National Convention this April in Omaha, Neb. 

Cheyann Smith has served with ECFR-Station #2 in Beulah since March 2018. Before starting her firefighting career, she joined the United States Air Force in 2012. Smith noticed there was a mental health crisis in the military and decided to go back to school in hopes of aiding her fellow Airmen. Since going back to school, Smith has earned her bachelor's and master's degrees and is currently working on her Doctor of Psychology.

Having a passion for service, Smith has led several humanitarian drives, eventually leading to her starting her own non-profit, Beacon - Be the One to Light the Way. The organization is dedicated to providing relief to individuals with food and housing insecurities.

Smith is the mother of two young girls, Boston, 3, and Dakota, 2, and she is  married to her husband, Mike, who is also on active duty Air Force. As a mother, she aims to instill the same work ethic and empathy for others in her daughters.

"This is a monumental honor because those two little girls are my world," said Smith. "Everything I do, I do for them. I hope they understand from the example I’ve set that as long as they work hard, stay committed, have self-discipline, and have good time management skills, they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up. My ultimate goal in life is to raise strong, independent, kind human beings and be a mom that my children can be proud to call their own."

Read about Cheyann's recognition by American Mothers here.

2023 Florida Mother of the Year recipient, Cheyann Smith

Original source can be found here.