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Teen Parents Earn Diplomas, Look To Future

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Jelisha Ward, 18, comforts her cousin, Lamar Blake III, left, and her daughter, Dylah Samuels, 10 months, on Thursday at Sebring High School. Ward is one of four teen parents graduating next week.

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: May 22, 2008

SEBRING — RCMA teen parents had plenty to celebrate on the final day of classes for seniors at Sebring High School on Thursday — all four senior teen parents are graduating.

Jelisha Ward couldn't stop smiling as she took off her backpack after class and picked up her son, Dylah Samuels, in the RCMA Teen Parent building.

"Knowing I have a diploma is a great accomplishment," Jelisha said. "I am so happy to be done with high school and moving on to the next phase of my life."

Katrina Caldwell, family support worker for the program, said typically only about 25 percent of teen parents graduate, but this year 100 percent of the girls who started high school will be collecting diplomas.

"These girls have beaten all the odds," Caldwell said. "It's been very hard for them, but they didn't give up. This is a very special achievement they can be proud of."

All three senior teen parents in Avon Park's program are also graduating.

"For the last three years we have been on the mark with all our teen parents graduating," Caldwell said. "I think it takes a big commitment from the families, the school board, RCMA, but mostly the commitment needs to come from the parent."

Jennifer Sawyer, who has an 18-month old son, Camren Williams, said balancing her time commitments is difficult for her.

"It's really hard to graduate and take care of a baby at the same time," Jennifer said. "Trying to play with him and give him a bath and get him to bed while I'm trying to do homework is hard work."
Of course, being pregnant at school isn't much easier.

"I was so big, I didn't fit in the desk," Jennifer said. "I had to turn sideways to sit in class."
Jelisha said she had all-day sickness that kept her from many of her classes.
"I made it all up though," she said.

Caldwell said the RCMA Teen Parent Program provides the parents with the resources they need before and after the baby is born, including child care while they are at school and support groups with other teen parents.

"We want to help motivate our seniors and our underclassmen to make it to graduation," Caldwell said. "A lot of them go on from there to get a job or to higher education."

Jelisha is going to head to Valencia Community College to become an ultrasound technician.
"I absolutely loved my ultrasound and knew right when I got it that I wanted to do that as a career," Jelisha said. "I love being around babies too."

Jennifer said she plans to work for a while to save money that she can use for college.
"Right now, I'm just looking forward to graduation," Jennifer said. "This is something I wanted to prove to myself and my parents that I could do."

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