Shelby

Shelby met her boyfriend when she was just 14 years old. She liked him and he liked her, so they started dating. They had been dating for just over one year when they became sexually active. As a 15 year old and now sophomore in high school Shelby was loving life. She was a varsity cheerleader, a straight A student, and had a boyfriend that she adored. But that all changed when she found out that she was expecting.

Shelby had finally built up the courage to tell her mother that she was sexually active at the age of 15. Then just one week later she had to tell her mother that she was pregnant. Her mother was a teen mom herself so she was understanding, but being a mother she was far from happy. Initially Shelby was positive that she was going to have an abortion. She was not going to give up her cheer team and possibly compromise her superb grades because of a mistake.

However, Shelby soon changed her mind. Thinking deeply about it she realized that if her mom would have had an abortion, she would not be here. Therefore how could she take her child's life? Shelby made the same decision that her mother had made just 15 years earlier and in her junior year of high school she gave birth to her beautiful daughter.

During the rest of her high school years her relationship with her boyfriend was constantly on the rocks as he was far from helpful. Shelby ended up graduating high school with a 4.0 GPA and her boyfriend slowly came around. She was accepted into the University of Virginia's Nursing School and as she grew up, so did her boyfriend. As time went on their relationship strengthened and he became a great support system to her.

Shelby was very grateful of him because her first year of college was a bit of a juggling act. She had to commute an hour to and from school every day while being a mother and planning her wedding. With each other's patience and support they all soon fell into a routine. Last June, after completing her first year of college, Shelby married her longtime boyfriend and the father of her daughter. They were able to move closer to her school and things are now a bit easier for Shelby and her little family. She is in love with her husband and is grateful for his support, she is still attending college and her commute is shorter, and she is enjoying life with her amazing daughter. Their life is not easy and money is tight but they are all happy and healthy; they couldn't ask for more.

Shelby wants teen mothers to know that it is possible to juggle school with a baby. Education does not need to be put on hold just because you get pregnant.

I couldn't agree more. (:
~Izabella