By Kristine Thomas
Silverton High School seniors Nicole Hodson, Alma Garcia, Samantha Scott, Alicia Osnaya, Enim Fierro and Jordan Harris were determined not to become another statistic – a high school dropout.
All six teenage girls became pregnant and had a child while in high school.
And while each of their stories is unique, they share a common thread – they wanted to graduate from high school.
A few days before receiving their diplomas from Silverton High School, the girls shared their stories.
“Everyone told me that I wasn’t going to make it and I wasn’t going to graduate and that I would drop out of high school,” Enim said. “When I get my diploma, I know I am going to cry because it means so much to me.
My diploma means I never gave up on my education.”
The journey from learning they were expecting a child to delivering their baby and the days after have been a roller coaster ride for each girl. Some dealt with disappointed parents, one was kicked out of her home and left to couch surf while pregnant. One girl was called vulgar names by her peers even though the father of her child was the only person she slept with. One dealt with personal illness while another learned her child has a lifelong illness that will have to be controlled. They’ve dealt with morning sickness, aching feet, early morning and late night feedings, homework, stress, family problems and worries about how to pay for diapers and wipes along with food.
Helen Thomas, who is the program coordinator for Silverton High School’s alternative education program, described her six teen moms as a “group of girls who strive to do great things in the world.
“The students in the teen parent class share a special bond in that they understand the challenges to remain in school, share the joys and demands of parenting, and encourage each other to keep striving to meet their goals and dreams,” Thomas said.
There were moments when it would have been easy to quit school, a few of the girls said.
What kept them motivated to finish were their children.
“Quitting was never an option,” Jordan said. “I think about my child’s future and I know I have to get a good job. There’s a satisfaction that comes from knowing you can do anything you put your mind to even when things get tough.”
Graduating with a 3.5 grade point average, Samantha plans to get married in August and attend Clackamas Community College in the fall. She would like to get her associate’s degree in social work and then become a paralegal. She received a scholarship from Silverton’s Zenith Women’s Club.
“People assume because we got pregnant in high school that we don’t have plans or goals,” Samantha said.
“We are responsible and we are determined to take care of our children Nicole is going into the Navy Reserves and attending Western Oregon State in the fall where she wants to earn her master’s degree in criminal justice. Graduating with a 3.7 GPA, she would like to work for the FBI or Secret Service. She’s taken parenting classes from Silverton Together.
Alma plans to get married and start community college in the fall. Alicia plans to go to cosmetology school and Enim would like to go to culinary school. Jordan plans to go to Valley Medical College in the fall to become a medical assistant and then go to college. She would like to become a pediatrician.
“I dreamed of graduating from high school since I was in grade school,” Jordan said. “I always knew I wanted to do something spectacular with my life.”
Finding out she was pregnant her senior year definitely placed a hurdle in her life’s plans, Jordan said.
“It hasn’t been easy going to school while pregnant but I only missed five days of school,” she said.
“Dropping out was never an option for me. I wanted to prove everybody wrong and I didn’t want to be what people thought of teen moms. I also wanted my high school diploma because I didn’t want to disappoint myself and I didn’t want to be a statistic.”
Before Nicole had her son Jordan, she never thought about going to college. Instead, she enjoyed playing basketball and skateboarding. When she became pregnant her freshman year, she started looking at her life in “a mature way.”
“I realized I had to step up to the plate and think about my son’s future,” she said. “I realized I had my childhood and now I had to step into reality and realize who I really was.”
Alicia, 18, finished her requirements to graduate early so she could have more time with her daughter, Jazlynn, who is almost 2 years old.
“There were times it was really tough to concentrate in school because I thought about my daughter being in daycare,” Alicia said. “I kept working because I want a better life for my daughter. I want her to know even though things get tough and are stressful, that you don’t quit. You make a goal and you accomplish it.”
Enim’s nickname for her son is her “beautiful disaster.” Before she became pregnant, her life was chaotic. She said her son has made her grow up and look to the future.
“What inspires me is when I walk in the door and see him running toward me,” Enim said. “That’s what makes me what to do better.”
All six teens believe their child happened for a reason. They look at their children as priceless gifts that have made them become who they were meant to be. They don’t look at what happened to them as a mistake but as a valuable life lesson learned a little earlier than most women.
“I want my son to know all I did was for him,” Alma said. “It was hard at times but it wasn’t impossible.”
“Whether a child is planned or not, they are a miracle,” Nicole said. “A child doesn’t break you down, but builds you up. There is a love in my heart for my child that pushes me to limits I never thought I could go and gives me courage. He has taught me whatever happens in life to never give up on your dreams.”
