Emeril Serves Breakfast to All-Star Mom

May 11, 2007 — -- For the town of Wimberley, Texas, Sharon Uhlaender is a cornerstone.

For many years, Uhlaender ran the small town's day care center, changing diapers and preparing Wimberley's kids for the rest of their lives. Later, she became a secretary at the local high school. Her children say she's the kind of mom who makes sacrifices -- the kind of mom who deserves a Mother's Day breakfast in bed from Emeril Lagasse.

"She does everything for me and my brother," said Uhlaender's daughter, Kylie. "She'll do anything for us."

That same dedication carries over to Uhlaender's job at Wimberley High School.

"She inspires us to get out and see the world and to not to let anything hold us back," said student Britney English.

As the principal's secretary, Uhlaender is at the center of all things good and bad. She makes sure every kid is fed and on the right track. She's also a sounding board, mentor and friend -- tough love and baked cookies rolled into one.

Wimberley students said Uhlaender brings them cakes and pizza for birthdays. But she reaches deeper than that, calming the frazzled nerves of students going through the emotional roller coaster that high school can be.

For Celissa New, high school life was made harder by family tragedy. Her mother died of cancer at the age of 40.

"I lost my mother to cancer three years ago. Sharon has kind of been that replacement mom guidance figure in my life," New said. "There are not very many people like her. She's been there through thick and thin. She's never stopped, she's never given up."

New said that Uhlaender has gone far beyond the call of duty, boosting her self-esteem and making her realize her potential.

"It's had a huge effect on me already," she said. "I mean deciding where to go to college, who to date, which friends to keep around, and just not settling. I know what I deserve, and I don't think I should have to settle for anything less, and she's the person who made me realize that."