ABOUT
I’m Dr. Wicondra Stovall, Founder of Just Like a Mom, LLC and creator of The Othermothering Model — a framework rooted in care, advocacy, and belonging. The Othermothering Model was inspired by my research on Othermothering as a framework to increase the connectedness in African American students and families in K-12. It was also inspired by Dr. Lynnette Mawhinney's prior research Othermothering in primarily white higher institutions of learning and my shero in the field.
I speak to schools, organizations, and communities about the power of Othermothering to transform classrooms, empower women and girls, strengthen families, and build wellness into education systems.
And because care must be practical as well as powerful, I also provide Hygiene Care Kits — dignity kits that include everyday essentials such as soap, lotion, a towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and Always® pads. These kits are designed for girls in schools, women in shelters, transitional youth programs, and clinics. They remind every person that belonging begins with dignity.
Mission: To bridge care and culture to create spaces where every child feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed through The Othermothering Model.
Vision: A future where care, equity, and belonging shape every child’s educational experience.
My Story:
In addition to my mother's commitment to my education and my father's affection - despite their divorce, I was nurtured by a village of “school moms” — women in my community who weren’t my biological mother, but who cared for me, advocated for me, and made sure I felt seen. They didn’t just look after me; they helped shape my identity, confidence, and future.
Years later, as an educator and researcher, I carried those lessons into my doctoral study. In 2022, I stepped into two schools — one elementary, one junior high — not as a teacher or administrator, but as a Community Mother. My role was simple, yet profound: to embody the principles of Othermothering — advocacy, care, relatedness, financial commitment, and commitment to learning — and see what happened when students experienced this kind of presence in school.
The results were undeniable. Suspensions dropped. Students said, “I feel seen for the first time.” Teachers gained new cultural capacity. What my school moms did for me decades earlier, I was now able to replicate for students and staff in real time. Out of that work came the Othermothering Model™, a framework that blends history, research, and practice. I founded Just Like a Mom Consulting to bring this model into schools, training educators, partnering with districts, and helping families reconnect with the heart of education: belonging.
But my journey doesn’t end there. I’m also a Certified Parenting Instructor, an author of the children’s book My School Moms, and a speaker committed to spreading this message of care and empowerment. Whether I’m talking with principals, parents, or young women and girls, my mission is the same: to restore care and connection to schools and communities, and to remind us all that education equity is health equity, and belonging is power.
This is more than my work — it’s my life’s calling.