The stigma attached to teen moms has long been that they must set aside their usual goals to take on the great responsibility of mothering. However, the future seems bright for 17 young mothers in Kentucky despite what statistics may say.
With a large support system from the Georgia Chaffee TAPP School, the teen moms proudly graduated high school in an emotional ceremony last week, according to Atlanta News First. Despite arduous schedules and adjusting to their children’s demands, the mothers leaned on one another and arose victoriously. “It’s been challenging. Especially waking up at five in the morning,” graduate Ronyale Wilson said. “I had to get myself ready and my baby and get on the bus by a certain time. But I made it work.”
In an ever-changing landscape, so few programs focus directly on preventing the dropout of teen mothers.
TAPP is an alternative school designed to solve that problem. The program includes childcare along with medical and family services that help lighten the load for young mothers, according to Atlanta News First. Though given more resources to succeed, the women showed serious determination to earn their diplomas. “I had to do extra credit. I had to do 10 extra classes in a semester so I could graduate early,” said graduate Claudia Aguilar Venegas. For most, their teenage years consist of only having to think about themselves, but for the students at TAPP, the focus is much larger. And the reality of being able to beat the odds made the ceremony even more meaningful. “It was happy tears. Not for me, but for my kids. They couldn’t be here, sadly, but I did this for them,” Venegas said.
The most impressive part of this graduating class is that all of the women enrolled in the program were able to make it to the finish line. Congratulations to them!