Carmen Santiago first found out she was pregnant with her first child during her sophomore year of high school. “It was two years ago so I don’t remember much, but I do remember being scared,” Carmen said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
Carmen found out she was pregnant with her second child, who’s due next month, in late February, “I already know what to do on my own now. I’m not as scared because I’m better prepared now,” Santiago said.
Teen pregnancy not only affects the teen who’s pregnant, but the parents of that teen as well. Carmen’s mother wasn’t really overjoyed with either of her pregnancies. “When she found out about the first one, she was really upset because she didn’t expect this from me,” Santiago said. “The second time she was really concerned about my education and what I was going to do with my future.”
According to http://www.progressivepolicy.org, 30 percent of the 1.3 million teens that drop out of high school each year cite teen pregnancy for the reason.
“After this pregnancy, I’m definitely going to come back to school, try my hardest to finish, and go on to college,” Santiago said.
Most teen moms who are going through high school pregnant dropout because of the reaction they get from their peers.
“In school I felt like people were all starring at me like they’ve never seen a pregnant person before,” teen mom Santiago said. “It kind of made me uncomfortable being around people who would stare so much.”
Most teen parents find that their dreams they set for themselves, like attending college and getting a degree to go on and establish their careers, are put on hold when having a child.
Carmen, who wants to be a school teacher, is determined to push through it all. “It’s going to be harder to afford college, it’s also going to be a challenge taking care of my kids and doing school work at the same time, but I’m determined to do it for myself and my kids.”
Santiago is not doing it all on her own. Her boyfriend has been a great support system through it all.
“We live together so it’s easier,” she also added. “He helps me buy things for the kids, and when I’m in a bad mood or I’m having a tough day, he helps me through it.”
