“On the last trimester of my pregnancy, I talked with the Dean. ‘I don’t have any support system near me, my husband works full time and takes night courses. I’m supposed to graduate next year. I don’t want to fall behind.’ She looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Tell me who your professors are next semester. I will talk with them personally.’”
‘You can bring your newborn to class,’ my Dean emails me. I was relieved, but afraid. Will he cry all the time?’: Mom takes newborn to law school classes, does ‘everything in my power’ to give children ‘opportunity to be successful’
‘I’m pregnant’ trembled out of my mouth. I was 16. My mom looked at me with shame, told me to move out.’: 16-year-old teen mom works 3 jobs to make ends meet, graduates nursing school with honors
“I made the decision to keep the baby. As word spread, I could no longer bear going to school. I gave birth, terrified. My nurse had been a teen mom. She stayed with me the entire time. ‘I see something special in you, you can do this.’ In that moment, I knew I was going to be a good mom. For you Ella, I would do it all over again.”
‘I’d like to publicly apologize to our Red Robin hostess. She didn’t know she was the last straw.’: Mom breaks down at Red Robin after dropping off son at college
“The hostess smiled. ‘How many in your party?’ I stood there, stunned, as my heart jumped into my throat. The dagger glares I shot were met with confusion. ‘Can’t you count?! Are you really going to make me say it out loud?’ There was awkward silence. I knew she was going to make me say it. ‘Three.’ She had no idea we’ve been a family of four for 18 years and it was our first time out without our firstborn.”
‘I yelled, ‘My baby can’t see me! What’s wrong?!’ They looked at me. ‘You know EXACTLY what happened to your baby. You shook her, threw her against the wall and bashed her head on the floor.’
“She appeared sleepy, so I laid her down in her crib. I figured since she was sleeping, I could wash my hair, but something told me to check on her again. ‘Momma someone tried to kill my baby, momma my baby, who hurt my baby?!’ I fell to the floor in tears, but her father appeared calm.”
‘What are ya’ll doing here?’ She had a peculiar look on her face. ‘We have something to tell you.’ ‘If you’re pregnant or dropping out of school, you might as well leave now! GET OUT!’
“I heard the words ‘Oh crap!’ We shockingly stared at the pregnancy test. ‘What do I do?!,’ I asked. ‘You have to tell your mom.’ My mom was a ‘no nonsense’ woman. Everyone knew she was NOT to be played with. I had to tell her in public. We showed up, unannounced, at her job.”
‘I’m ok to keep repeating until I pass.’ This is my adopted brother. His mother died of lupus; his father has a new family now. He’d need to repeat 6th grade.’
“People question ‘why was he allowed to graduate with that kind of average?’ or ‘he is barely able to read and write, how did he pass?’ The thing is, he tried and kept trying. We never scolded him, never made him feel like he did not know anything. We never made him feel bad about himself.”
‘My twin is the GREATEST. He took both of our pics for picture day back in HS when I was sick.’
“We’ve actually switched classes before in middle school, and gone to work for each other. The perks are endless!”
‘Can I brag a little? I finished high school early with 15 college credit hours. Had my son, and still graduated in the top 5% of my class.’
“I decided I did not have to become a disappointment because I was pregnant.”
‘What is it about this young man? I could not put my finger on it’: Assistant principal helps student be first in his family to graduate high school
“Miles and I will ride to graduation together, put our caps and gowns on together, march in together, march out together, and begin chapter two of his life.”
‘You’re not shooting up, are you?’ My heart sank. I couldn’t even look my mom in the eyes.’: Young woman beats addiction and graduates with 4.0 GPA, says ‘no matter how bad life is, you’re worth it’
“I hugged her and with my head on her shoulder said, ‘Yes, mom. I am. I love you. I promise I WILL get better.’ They shut the door and told me I was no longer welcome. They did the best thing a family could’ve done. Let me fall face first and weren’t there to catch me. I was a good person with a big heart. I did good deeds for my family, friends, and community. But I was also an addict. And addiction doesn’t discriminate.”
