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Genie M. Glymph was a 16-year-old cheerleader in 1993 at Forestville's Bishop McNamara High School when she had her only daughter, Myla.

She has one vivid memory of a parent of a fellow cheerleader coming to practice and asking, "Whose baby?"

"She's mine," responded Glymph, who is now 34 and lives in Capitol Heights.

"Humph. Babies having babies," the woman scoffed.

That stuck with Glymph.

"It was one of those things that made me want to beat the odds," she said. "Everybody has a negative thought about teen moms because statistically you don't go far."

On Thursday, nearly 20 years later, Glymph and Clinton resident Chimere A. Taylor, 30, were honored with the 2011 First Lady Award given by the Accokeek-based Ambassadors for Economic Independence Giving Circle, which aims to create pathways to economic independence and sustainability for underserved, women-led families.

The award was given during a luncheon ceremony at Oxon Hill Manor to commemorate women who achieved milestones such as being the first in their family to graduate high school, earn a college degree or start a business while raising children on their own.

Thirty-eight women were nominated for the award, which originated last year.

Glymph says she did not let attitudes like that parent's or the difficulties of being a single mother stop her from becoming something. In Myla's first two years, Glymph graduated high school and enrolled in Baltimore's Coppin State University. She graduated in four and a half years with a bachelor's degree in management science.

Today, she works as a family team meeting coordinator in Washington, D.C.'s Family Services Agency — a role that calls for working with children and families in crisis, trying to make a difference.

Deborah M. Avens, the chief empowerment officer with Starting Over For Economic Independence, which started AFEI Giving Circle, said the First Lady Award honors "single mothers who are succeeding.

"What we wanted to do was to highlight single mothers who are doing just that so that it can be an encouragement to other single mothers who may feel guilty for some of the mistakes that they have made."

Last year, Prince George's County had the highest number of female-headed households in the region with 37,582 compared to 27,362 in the District, according to Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat, the vice president of programs with Washington Area Women's Foundation.

Taylor, a perennial honor roll student in high school who had earned a scholarship to Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga., had to drop out during her freshman year after getting pregnant with her son, Ryan.

She moved back home and took a minimum-wage job working at a shoe store while trying to raise her family on her own.

Nine years later, Taylor is back in school pursuing her bachelor's degree in education. She already holds an associate degree in early childhood education and works in the Prince George's County Department of Social Services as an administrative assistant.

She also serves as the director of the Clinton Boys and Girls Club, even though she works full time and attends school.

Taylor said college is so important because it represents tangible achievement.

"It's actually a stamp. Once you receive your degree, no one can ever take that away from you. You can take that to your grave," Taylor said. "You can never be fired from it; you can never be suspended from it. It's yours."

Pat O'Neal, a 64-year-old Clinton resident, nominated Glymph for the award because she inspired O'Neal's twin daughters when the girls met at school.

"I was so impressed that she was continuing her education. Every time my children would slack down on their studies, I would say, ‘Hold up, there is Penny [Glymph].'"

O'Neal said Glymph is the model of perseverance.

"She took that thing that a lot of people would have said would have kept us down — a child out of wedlock at 16 — and she's used that to not only lift herself up, but to lift others up."

One of the people Glymph has raised and raised up is her own daughter. Myla, 17, remembers days when her mom would head off to work two jobs and still come home in time to cook dinner.

"I've seen her work all of my life, but you would never see her in a bad moment," Myla said. "She's always uplifting, respectful and responsible, and she's taught me how to be a good role model."

So much for "babies raising babies."

"I want to be somebody that people can look up to," Glymph said. "I guess so other people could beat the odds or be encouraged if they find themselves in any type of tough position."

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