By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com
“If I had time to spare, I’d be pulling my hair out. I like to stay busy.”
That’s an oft-repeated statement Mineral Wells resident Amanda Withers used while she recounted the numerous activities, organizations and businesses she’s involved with. If her current repertoire is any indication, Withers won’t need to worry about hair loss any time soon, if ever.
“Being born and raised in Mineral Wells, naturally, that’s where it all starts,” she said. Born to Mary Sue and the late Cecil Withers, Amanda Withers’ family has strong ties to the community. She said her son, Jordon, 5, is the fifth generation to live in their family home, a home that ties approximately 125 years of ancestors to Palo Pinto County.
“It was an old dairy farm,” she recalled. “My dad started off as a farmer [before] he drove trucks. He drove for the Dallas Morning News [as a delivery driver] and became a school bus driver and my mom’s worked at the same nursing home all my life.”
Today, Withers, 23, works with her mother at Mineral Wells Nursing and Rehabilitation and works as a nurse recruiter for the corporation, Daybreak Ventures. For Withers, working with the elderly is an occupation she clearly enjoys.
“I was practically raised in a nursing home,” she commented. “On my ninth birthday, the residents threw a birthday party. It was like having 75 grandmothers and grandfathers.”
“I wanted to go into nursing home administration, but it required a four-year degree,” she said. As a stepping-stone, she became a certified assisted living administrator at the age of 21, which is the minimum age to become certified. Withers said she believes she was the youngest person to get the certification in the United States.
“I enjoy doing it and working with elderly people. That’s my calling,” she said. “That business is very, very stressful but people you’re taking care of become your family. Just like with family, even if it’s stressful, you’re still going to be there for them.”
A 2002 graduate of Mineral Wells High School, Withers said she was involved with the Wranglerettes and was a president of the Key Club. During her senior year, she became pregnant with her son. Withers said she finished her senior year in school and graduated, walking across the stage.
“I decided I didn’t want to be the stereotype,” she said of her decision to continue her regular classes. “That’s why I choose to do more.”
Withers said she fought against stereotypes that are often projected about young adults and unwed mothers.
“When I moved home, most people my age are not very accomplished,” she remarked. “I wanted to be able to tell people not all young people are the same.”
Drawing from her own experiences, Withers said she’s been asked by parents to speak to their children about her experiences and advice. In September, Withers said she spoke with some high school students that might be pregnant and deciding about college. She said she told them that pregnancy didn’t necessarily mean they couldn’t attend college.
Taking the initiative, Withers worked hard to get where she is now.
In addition to her work in the nursing home field, Withers helps open stores for Chicken Express and volunteers her time as a Kiwanis board member, a Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce ambassador, organizes quarterly Businesswomen’s Luncheons and started an Alzheimer’s Association Support Group. She also notes that she’s active with her church, Church of God, in Mineral Wells and is helping her friend Melanie Hierbe, who’s opening a dance studio in Mineral Wells next month.
“So many people have helped me, I felt it was my time to help. I wanted to be able to give back to my community,” she explained of her many activities. “It just so happened with the nursing home, they have an Alzheimer’s unit and there wasn’t anything available for family to cope with what they were going through so I decided to go and be trained as a facilitator for the support group.”
She noted that she’s been asked to speak at different organizations about the newly formed Alzheimer’s support group.
With the quarterly luncheons for area businesswomen, Withers explained the idea formulated from a desire to “break the boundaries between women in the community and bring everybody together in one cause. I didn’t want there to be any boundaries and for women to respect each other and their accomplishments.”
Withers said she’s been involved in Kiwanis her “whole life,” as her mother was part of the organization for a long time. She also decided to become an ambassador for the chamber within the past two years, helping with chamber recruitment, ribbon cuttings and “supporting the chamber in everything they do for us,” she noted.
In addition to her work and volunteer activities, Withers is also working on a degree in marketing and sales from West Texas A&M; in Canyon while getting her real estate license.
“I was home for two years [after high school graduation] taking care of my baby and I decided to get a degree,” she said. “I went to West Texas A&M; for two years and then moved back home … It was very hard being on your own and coming home to take care of a sick parent. Because I made the choice, I’ve gone way further than I even imagined.”
Of course, while her employment and civic duties demands some of her time, Withers still cherishes taking some time for herself and her son. While she enjoys dancing and photography and is “a natural shop-a-holic,” she takes time with her son.
“I like to spend time with my son. We like to ride horses or go fishing,” she said of their quality time. Withers observed, “You follow in the footsteps of your parents. Whether it’s right or wrong, that’s what ends up happening.”
It’s not all work and no play for Withers, who said she does date though her commitments sometimes cause problems.
“A lot of the problem is because people can’t keep up with me or don’t like the fact I’m out of town some,” she remarked.
She gives credit of her attainments to her family support behind her from the beginning.
“If it weren’t for my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” she said. “If it weren’t for what I’ve been through in the past, I wouldn’t have had so much to prove. Now, I have even more to prove. Just because you’re young, it doesn’t mean you can’t conquer a large task.”
Of course, for the woman who’s always on the go, she’s already setting her sights on another goal – the first female mayor of Mineral Wells.
“Right now, I’m planning on running for mayor next year,” she said with a bright smile. “I want to bring things to Mineral Wells that’ll help improve our community.”
She observed that to her knowledge, there’s never been a female mayor and none of the previous mayors have been under 30 years of age.
“Even if I don’t win, it’s the experience of it,” she remarked. “Mineral Wells is my home and will always be my home.”
