By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photos

Pine Creek Elementary is celebrating one of its own after 5th grader Aleena Hambright advanced as a state finalist in the “What My Mother Means to Me” writing contest sponsored by the National Mothers Association.

Aleena was one of 11 Nebraska fifth-graders selected to read their essays aloud at the state capitol in front of fellow finalists, families, and dignitaries, including the governor and 2026 Mother of the Year. Her teacher, Vanessa Kruse, submitted the piece as part of a school-wide project in which Pine Creek fifth-graders wrote about their mothers.

When asked what inspired her to enter the contest, Aleena said simply, “I wanted to write something about my mom. About what my mom means to me and how she is very nice to me.”

She described her writing and thought-process for the essay: “I just said what my mom meant to me… what she is like, who she is.”

One moment that stands out in Aleena’s essay is how her mother provides comfort. “I like when she comforts me,” she explained. “It’s because when I’m sad or anything, she makes me feel better.”

Aleena learned she was a finalist in January when her mother, Natalie Hambright, received a surprise phone call from the National Mothers Association. Natalie recalled the emotional moment: “It came quite as a surprise to me… it was just a really hard day. When I found out it was a very emotional night. I was extremely full of happiness and just understanding that being a mom is hard, but we’re doing the right things.”

At the capitol event, mothers joined their children on stage. Natalie stood beside Aleena as she read. “She was really nervous in the beginning, but seeing her read it, she just did so wonderful,” Natalie said. Aleena agreed the experience was mixed. “It was kind of scary, but I really, really liked it, and it was fun,” she added.

When asked about the highlights, Aleena replied the best parts were: “Doing it in front of the governor and being in front of people while reading and getting an award.”

To calm her nerves beforehand, the mother-daughter pair looked at puppies on Natalie’s phone, a simple strategy Aleena’s mother noted with a laugh during the interview. 

Natalie was particularly moved by the opening of her daughter’s essay. “I really loved the beginning of it. Just how it was like, my mother means hope, my mother means… those first few words really grabbed my attention,” she said. She emphasized that the recognition felt bigger than just one award. “When she won the award, it wasn’t necessarily an award just for me, but thinking from a bigger perspective. At that point I thought about my grandma and my mom… every mother is deserving.”

The contest recognizes both the students’ essays and mothers who apply to be honored for their contributions. Several Nebraska mothers were recognized as part of the statewide celebration.

Aleena, who enjoys writing stories and poems at school, said writing makes her happy. “It makes me happy when I write because when I write, sometimes I write about my family, like how I wrote about my mom. Or I write things that I love and things that I’ve always wanted, and I write about my dog sometimes,” she said. She hopes to become a veterinarian or work with animals through the Humane Society one day and believes her writing skills will help with future applications and college essays.

Natalie encouraged other parents to foster writing in their children by having them start with ideas from the heart. “When you have an idea, put the idea on paper, and then more ideas are going to continuously come to you,” she advised.

The experience left both mother and daughter inspired. As Natalie put it, moments like these remind mothers that “some days are hard for us, but I think at the end of the day just knowing it is comfort and that we are all doing the right thing.”

Aleena closed the conversation with a heartfelt message for her mom beyond the essay: “I love her so much.”

Pine Creek Elementary and the Bennington community continue to celebrate Aleena’s achievement and the power of young voices honoring the mothers who shape them.