Westmont Magazine Children's Book Encourages "One More Hug" for Kids

Megan Alexander ’02 graduated with a degree in political science and a desire to work in the media. During years of reporting for the TV show Inside Edition, covering the NFL for CBS Sports and debating issues on both CNN and Fox News, she has thoughtfully considered how best to approach and engage life, a career, family and citizenship as a Christian. Her 2016 book, “Faith in the Spotlight: Thriving in Your Career While Staying True to Your Beliefs,” describes how she has brought her faith to work and applied her Westmont education in a variety of secular settings. She provides practical advice, discussing how to negotiate a contract, find a mentor, deal with rejection and handle high-pressure situations. “It’s entirely possible to have a strong Christian faith in any industry, but we must speak about it practically and openly,” she says.

A decade into her career, Megan married Brian Cournoyer, a fellow believer, and they have two sons and a daughter. In this new season of life, she seeks to encourage her boys to share their feelings. “As my oldest son, Chace, started to board the bus for kindergarten, he ran back to me for one more hug several times,” she says. “I responded that there’s always time for one more hug.” She also gave him one more kiss at bedtime and one more wave before walking into Sunday school. “This idea of needing reassurance or asking for comfort really touched my heart and soul,” she says. “According to Child Trends, a leading nonprofit research organization in the United States, children receive lifelong positive outcomes when their parents express warmth and affection for them. As boys get older, society tends to send the message that they need to hide their feelings and ‘shake it off.’ Perhaps continuing to encourage them to express their feelings will help their overall well-being and emotional health.”

Her experience with Chace led her to write a children’s book, “One More Hug” (Aladdin, 2019) to encourage parents and grandparents to reassure and comfort children, a message she thinks especially important for boys.

“No matter what stage of life we’re in, we have opportunities to share our faith and love of Christ with the world,” Megan says. “Every single person is a minister, and every single industry is a ministry.”