Imagine this: high school has ended and Jane Smith goes off to college ready to start her new life. She plans on taking fifteen units, more than enough to be considered a full time student. Then it hits her, the strain of juggling all those classes, doing all that homework, and raising a child becomes unbearable.
Though some girls undertake the hardships of being a student and mother, most just cannot handle the pressure and simply drop out. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 48 percent of community college students have either been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant. Of those, more than 20% drop out of school.
There are many reasons a teen becomes pregnant. In an article written in 2004, researchers from RAND Health concluded, “Exposure to sex on television may influence teen pregnancy by creating the perception that there is little risk to engaging in sex without using contraceptives and accelerating the initiation of sexual intercourse.”
Why is it that sex in media is shown through perfect eyes? Only 38.5 minutes per week is spent on meaningful conversations between a parent and their teen, according to American Family Research Council, “Parents Fight ‘Time Famine’ as Economic Pressures Increase,” 1990. So where does the other time go? About seven hours daily in a teen’s life is spent watching TV, concludes another study by BJK&E Media report, The New York Times, December 30, 1997.
Experts say that media producers withhold information from the youth about a more realistic look at teen sex. So where can teens learn more if not from their elders or TV? There are many organizations that inform teens of the risks of pregnancy and there are equally as many who can help an already pregnant teen.
“I dropped out of my first year of college because I needed to work two jobs to save up for when the baby was born,” said an FCC student who chose to remain unidentified. “After a couple of years I decided to come back to finish my education.”
Though the student finished her education, she felt that the problem could be overwhelming. So why would someone drop out? “Most pregnant girls drop out either because lack of support or lack of resources,” said Maddy Surface, coordinator of FCC’s Child Care Access Means Parents in School, (CCAMPIS).
CCAMPIS provides free childcare for full time students, and gives free access to the Child Development Center on campus for children between the ages of two to five. They also provide $26 per day for being a licensed kinship provider who’s attending school or working and have a child younger than two years of age.
Surface also stated that not many girls realize the programs that can help them or are aware of programs that encourage women to continue college even while raising a child. A great example of such program would be Teen Success, an organization from Planned Parenthood located on Van Ness Ave. and directed by Heather Meyers.
“We motivate teen mothers to finish school and teach them how to juggle both parenting and being a student. We also help them with any internal issues they might have, maybe guilt over the fact that they feel they’re spending more time with school and not enough on their child,” said Meyers.
Another form of support that Planned Parenthood provides is the Morgan Scholarship, which is open to all graduates from the Teen Success program. All that is required is a short essay discussing the prompt given. The scholarship gives $2,000 for the student’s first year at a four-year college, $1,000 for the student’s first year at a Community College, and $500 for a year at a Trade School. If the applicant is successful during her first year, then the scholarship will be extended through the second year as well.
Located in Downtown Fresno is yet another form of support for pregnant teens as well as all students. Kayla Wilson is the School Readiness coordinator of Fresno County Office of Education (FCOE). The program provides parenting support, individual encouragement, and classes teaching better parenting skills. Having been a teen parent herself, with three kids before reaching age 22, Wilson knows the hardships one must face while trying to receive an education and raise a child. “It seems so overwhelming and there are very stressful times, but education is a lifetime gift not only for yourself, but for your family as well,” Wilson stated.
There are also some consequences for a teen mother who doesn’t finish her education. Director of Teen Success, Heather Meyers, said that the girls in her class felt left out socially and felt unsure about their future.
CCAMPIS coordinator, Maddy Surface added, “I noticed my students talk about their quality of life staying the same. With lack of support and no planning, they stay with the same job and have fewer opportunities to move up.”
Affirmed by pregnantteenhelp.org, billions of dollars are spent on teen mothers and their children. As much as 80% of unwed teen mothers end up on welfare according to pregnancy-info.net
“There are so many programs that are willing to help. Look for academic support, talk to someone before deciding whether or not you want to drop out,” stated education director of Planned Parenthood Alan Gilmore. “Maybe it’s better to take fewer classes in the beginning so it won’t be so stressful. There’s nothing wrong with delaying a dream or goal as long as you do what is best for you.”
