First Lady & Friends

Utah's First Lady Abby Cox  is joined by Emily Cloke (British Consul General in Los Angeles)  to talk about “The Big Help Out” service project, how we're celebrating teachers in the state, and why championing the youth is such a fundamental topic in the UK. We also talk about the long-lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, why service and community flourished during the various lockdowns, and...

Utah's First Lady Abby Cox  is joined by Sumiko Martinez (Director of Autism After 21 Utah Project, Madison House Autism Foundation) and Nathan Anderson (Sr. Director of Public Affairs at Union Pacific and father of two sons on the Autism Spectrum) to talk about their shared passions for promoting awareness for those who are living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, programs that Autism After 21 is de...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox  and Utah Governor, Spencer Cox , have an amazing conversation with Shawn (former NBA star) and Carrie Bradley that took place at the One Utah Summit in October of last year. We dive into what it means to perservere through hardship, overcoming some of the mental health struggles that the two have experienced, and the joys of blending a family tog...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by friends from the Emerald Hills Institute to talk about what Ramadan means to them, their experiences with honoring Ramadan during school, and various ways that Utah has been a welcoming place for Muslim traditions and a few ways that the state can be more inclusive. We also talk about why it's so important to share our cultural and re...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Emily Auman , who talks about the moment she found out that her son, Everett, had been diagnosed with Kleefstra syndrome. She also shares how she found solace in knowing that there would always be a place for Everett, and how we should constantly be re-evaluating our expectations for our children. Emily also opens up about Everett's e...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Vinay Kalva  & Anagha Rao to talk about the inspiration behind their committment to service, their decision to pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB)  program, and who have been their biggest influences in their education and dedication to service. Then we talk about the the inspiration behind Live Well Teens, what their rese...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Sally Steed (Vice President of Sales at Deseret News), Lynnette Cloward (Director of Events at Utah Business), and  Sarah Allred  (Deputy Director of First Lady's Initiatives) to talk about our upcoming second annual Show Up for Teachers educator wellness conference on July 19th, 2023!! We also talk about the complimenting gala at the...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Kirsten Rappleye (Director of First Lady’s Initiatives) and  Sarah Allred  (Deputy Director of First Lady's Initiatives)  to recap the past couple of major events from our Show Up initiatives including some of the amazing moments from unified sports with Weber State University and the Utah Jazz and the need to continuously raise aware...

Megan Johnson (Co-founder of The Emily Effect) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about her sister, Emily, the origination of The Emily Effect, and what life was like for them growing up in Sanpete County. We also talk about the early signs of Postpartum Depression (PPD) that Emily experienced, why sharing Emily's story is so important to spread awareness surrounding PPD, and some of the...

Sherry Cutler joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about meeting her husband, Rep. Paul Cutler (Utah State Legislature House District 18),  her passion for teaching, and their family's journey to becoming a representative in the legislature. We also talk about Sherry's experience being a spouse of a new representative during the legislative session and working together to create foster fami...

Courtnie Worthen (Director of Unified Champion Schools)  joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about her passion for unified sports, how Special Olympics has helped her grow as a person, and some of the most memorable moments from the USA Games. Then we dive into the importance of Inclusion Week, some of the great events that have taken place throughout the state to celebrate the inclusion o...

J.W. Davies (Co-Founder & Tax Partner of Davies + Allen) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about finding success in business throughout the state, the moment he learned that his newborn son, Tate, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, and the importance that unified sports has had on so many athletes with intellectual disabilities. We also talk about how the inclusion of unified sports i...

Members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission join Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and to talk about the commission's goals of advocating for and supporting underserved communities throughout the state of Utah. We also discuss how the murder of George Floyd was a tipping point in society that has led to countless moments of self-refle...

Utah Governor Spencer Cox , Owen Fuller (CEO at Marq) , Kirsten Rappleye (Director of First Lady's initiatives) , and Jon Cox (Principal at Utah Public Affairs) join Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to reminisce about Spencer and Abby's first time meeting each other, what dating in a small town looked like, and what all of the friends have been up to since the last time we got together. Then we dive...

Heather Vanboerum joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about her passion for being outside and enjoying nature with her family, as well as the accident that took place in a Costco parking lot that would ultimately leave her on the verge of death and a double amputee. Heather also opens up about forgiveness helped her move forward throughout her journey, her physical and mental approach towa...

Jeremy Cunningham ( Public Policy Director with the Alzheimer’s Association, Utah Chapter) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about how the growth in technology has made an impact on the mental health of our youth, moving to Utah with nothing to his name, and the impact that his grandparents had on his life growing up. We also dive into his background in marketing and public relations, th...

Elizabeth Petterson   joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about growing up in Minnesota with a single-parent household, building resilience and independence through the foster care system, and learning to be a child once she was adopted out of the system by her aunt and uncle.  Then we dive into our recent trip to Washington D.C. to speak with the Department of Human Services about some of...

Kara Bachman (Food Security Program Coordinator for the Student Nutrition Access Center (SNAC) at Utah State University)  joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about the experiences growing up that inspired her to pursue nutrition, food security, and social justice. We also talk about some of the main factors contributing to a rise in USU's food pantry usage, how local food pantries contribu...

Matilyn Mortensen  (Writer for @UUtah Communications & Host of " This is Not a Back-up Plan Podcast ")  joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , to talk about struggling to admit that pursuing journalism could be an achievable goal for herself, how journalism has evolved over the past couple of years, and where traditional media helps bridge together communities. Then we talk about Matilyn's decisi...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Bracken Hertzler, Steven Hadfield, and Alizabeth Fonnesbeck, who are Mountain Crest High School students, to talk about their decisions to start getting involved in unified sports, some of their fondest experiences that they've had through unified sports, and how unified sports has helped create a more inclusive atmosphere throughout...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Dustin Smith (Founder and President of Especially for Athletes)  to talk about the inspiration behind creating E4A, the need to develop socially responsible athletes who can make a difference in the lives of others, and understanding the impact that social media can have on our teenagers. We also dive into various ways to target high...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by D r. Susan Madsen (Founder and Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project and Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership) and Kacie Malouf (Malouf Foundation Chair)  to talk about the upcoming symposium, "Effecting Societal Change for Child Sexual Abuse", on October 26th that Saprea will host. We also talk abou...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Emma Broyles (Miss America 2022) to talk about growing up in Anchorage, AL, how her close bond with her older brother Brendan, who has Down syndrome, helped drive her passion for creating deep connections through Unified Sports based on inclusion and empathy, and different ways that we can make Special Olympics even better. Emma also...

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Kirsten Rappleye (Director of First Lady’s Initiatives) and  Sarah Allred  (Deputy Director of First Lady's Initiatives)  to recap some of the latest updates in our lives including a couple of visits to the emergency room, our favorite unified sports events that we've been to this year, and some of the upcoming unified sports events t...

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by Brittney Cummins   (Senior Advisor for Education to Governor Cox) to talk about Brittney's childhood growing up in England, what inspired her to pursue education, as well as some of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of being an educator. We also dive into the need to come together as teachers and parents to help create the best learning environm...