Hometown: Conway

“If you can give of your heart to others, you have given the best gift of all.”  For the last 35 years, Mrs. America has remained the shining example of character and strength for the millions of married women across our great country and their families. My dream of becoming Mrs. America began many years ago. I married my husband, Dean in 2003. My inspiration to change the world for those around me began many years before becoming a wife and mother. As a child, my parents made a lifelong commitment to provide for me a loving, safe environment, and to cultivate my life with good morals in hopes that I would mature into the well rounded woman of character that I am today.
 
Their promise and commitment to me many years ago is the reason I feel compelled to make a positive impact and to inspire all Americans and their families to make a difference. Through my organization, "Cultivating Character", and as a National and International advocate for many character development organizations, my goal as Mrs. America is to implement a character education curriculum in every public school system across the United States. As a result, we would see an enormous change within the lives of our country's youth...our future leaders!

I am blessed daily to experience first hand each precious milestone as a stay at home mom to Alexahndra Faith (5), and Annmarie Brooke (2). Together with my husband, Dean, and our precious girls, we cherish every moment and opportunity to spend time as a family. If you visit the beautiful Palmetto State you may find the Wartenburgs taking a casual stroll along Conway’s historic river walk, and soaking up the sun with our toes buried in the sand at Myrtle Beach, SC