Teen Moms

About three in ten teenage girls become pregnant at least once before age twenty, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.  According to CBS Evening News,” despite today’s society’s advances over the last few decades, the sad truth is, for teen moms, not much has changed. Two- thirds of them live in poverty; less than 50 percent graduate from high school.”Graduating is hard enough but being pregnant or having a baby makes it extra hard.

Just getting up every morning and coming to school is more difficult when there’s a baby involved. “When I first had my son my thoughts on school where still the same which was going to school and graduating,” senior Kaitlyn Hart said, who has a seven-month-old son at home. “ It’s hard getting up every morning at six and coming to school when my son don’t sleep at night.”

Teenage moms need a lot of support from their families and school. “We give the girls as much help as we can by holding a parenting and pregnancy class every other week,” said school nurse Mrs. Sally French. “My mom said there was no way I wasn’t going back to school she would keep the baby,” said junior Chelby Moore who recently had a daughter this school year. To finish school requires more focus and discipline. “After the baby came I had the best report card I’ve ever had,” said Chelby. Now any normal person would believe there would be a lot of stress to handle with school and a baby but Kaitlyn on the other hand said,” I don’t deal with stress between my son and school.”

Teen moms not only plan to graduate but also plan to make a career for themselves by going through college. “I still want to attend college I just need to find a night college,” answered Kaitlyn. Not attending college is not an option if you want a good paying job to take care of the baby and yourself. “I’m going to college to be in culinary arts,” said Chelby. We all know that with a baby your life goes through lots of changes. “My life just isn’t about myself anymore it’s all about my son,” Kaitlyn explained.

Life isn’t just fun and games when you have a child. People realize you have to step up to the plate and be an adult and do what needs to be done to take care of yourself and your child. Now this should put focus in everyone’s eyes. If young mothers can graduate than so should everyone else.  Teen parents at West High are overcoming the odds against them.

School nurse Mrs. Sally French in her office awaiting to help thoses in need. Mrs. French has held the pregnancy and parenting classes at West for six successful years.

Juinor Chelby Moore making up a test for Mr. Dains Algerbra 2 class. Chelby does her best to keep her grades high to make it to her senior year next year.