Chambana Mom to Know: Terra Larsen

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A Champaign native, Terra Larsen ended up moving away only to return when she and her husband, Harry,  decided to have Along came Elyse (9), Mason (8), Aubrey (6) and Tessa (just turned 4). But Larsen didn’t stop having “kids”; she simply adopted many as her “own.” She lays claim to 30 Girl Scouts “that I consider mine” as well as another 350 Kenwood students. Larsen is very invested in students while serving as PTA President at Kenwood. She also is the leader for two Girl Scout troops, treasurer for the Girl Scout’s Service Area Team and a gymnastics/soccer mom.

See why we think Terra Larsen is a Chambana mom to know. 

Q: We’re about to celebrate National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. What is the significance of this milestone?

A: When you think Girl Scouts, you probably think about delicious Girl Scout cookies and little girls showing up at your door, or the grocery, trying to get you to buy more and more cookies. What we are really doing for our girls, is teaching them how to run a business, from building a plan, to advertising product, to gathering money. We are helping to teach our girls how to survive in the business world, and flourish.

A: We really do have a strong program here. I think we have had a vocal and creative Service Area Team, our main office is very strong and supportive…but most of all, we have the most amazing girls, moms and dads in Champaign-Urbana. Our girls are anxious to help, they want to take part in everything, and they want to BE role models. It says a lot about the strong little girls we are raising, but it also speaks volumes about the parents here in Champaign-Urbana.

A: Being a part of this program has been fun. I have met some of the greatest people in the world, and it has helped me become a better mother. I became a leader, by accident. I was never a girl scout myself. But as I got into it, I realized, I didn’t need to know what I was doing. I needed to listen and grow relationships with my girls. They have talked me into doing some of the craziest things, staying at the craziest places, they even talked me into camping…and I am not a camper. The point is, they took me out of my comfort zone, and I have had so much fun. It’s very fulfilling. So, how do you give that feeling to others? You train them. So, I have spoken to groups, taken individual calls, and met for coffee more times than I can count, to talk to moms and get them ready to start a troop. I train because I would have missed out on so much had I been scared and not taken on my daughter’s troop. I don’t want other moms to miss out, because of fear.

A: Kenwood is more than just a school, we have built ourselves into a family. I came from a grade school like that. And to this day, I am still in contact with a lot of the teachers, volunteers and classmates, from that school. I want our kids to do that, and look back at their time at Kenwood as a great time in life. So, coming to our school, be ready to add family members! We have a new gifted program, which has been remarkable. We are partnered with the U of I, and are working on getting individual laptop computers in every classroom. We are teaching K-5 E-toys on those computers, which will help them design and code. At this time, we are the only grade school, in Champaign-Urbana that is doing this. We have Sally Sue, our literacy dog. Good behavior and reading at home and school, gives you the chance to go to our principal’s office and read to Sally Sue. She LOVES the kids, and listens to every story. We celebrate every birthday at school, we have family dinner nights outside the school (so you can meet your kids’ friends and their parents), and we offer free events to keep parents involved in the school, and show you what we have been learning. We want our kids to feel comfortable at school and want to be there. We want our parents to be involved, and the best way to do that, is to work together and build a family!

A: I am proud of my kids, of course. They have grown into these amazing people, and they keep me on my toes. But, I am really most proud of turning into my mother. She volunteered at our school, when I was young; she was always over-involved in our lives. She loved the school kids like her own. She taught me to have respect for teachers, and made me see that it takes a village to raise amazing adults, and to be a strong part of that village. When I hear, “you are so much like your mother”, I feel very proud, and I feel like I am doing something right. She never got to meet my kids, or me as a mom, so being just like her, keeps her close to me and her memory alive!

A: We are a big family. I always wanted a big family. Financially, it is tight, but my kids have each other, food in their bellies, and clothes on their backs, so they don’t really want for much more. They are each other’s entertainment! That part is fun. The biggest challenge is four people, four different personalities and passions, four sets of friends…we are ALWAYS busy and sometimes I feel like I need a carbon copy of myself to be everywhere we need to be on time. I used to be the person that always showed up to an event/occasion five minutes early. Now, if I tell you I’ll be there at 5, that means somewhere in the 5 o’clock hour, before scouts, after gymnastics.