70%
of teenage girls who give birth leave school
Teenage Pregnancy
is the number 1 cause of female dropouts
1 in 4
teenage girls become pregnant before graduating.
Elizabeth’s Story
Getting pregnant at age 14 meant months away from school and a host of new responsibilities. Catching up with her class while being a mom seemed hopeless, until she came to Learn4Life.
“When I found out I was pregnant at 14, I had no idea what I would do. I thought I’d have to drop out of school and get a part-time job at a fast food restaurant with no future in mind. Learn4Life helped me see that anything is possible. I’ve gained maturity and a daughter who makes my life worth living.”
With no access to childcare or a way to bring her baby to school, dropping out looked like the only choice. Then a friend told her about Learn4Life. “I liked the idea that they offered a flexible schedule, but still wasn’t sure who could take care of my daughter while I was in school. I called Learn4Life and they said I could bring her with me.”
Elizabeth’s supervising teacher worked with her to develop an academic plan to make up the missed credits, to get back on track for graduation. Because of the time she had already missed, the schedule was ambitious, but her teacher used a key insight to keep Elizabeth focused. “My teacher knew how important my daughter is to me, and she talked to me about the type of life I want for her. It was then that I realized I have to graduate on time and go to college — to teach my daughter that you can’t let anything in life hold you back.”
With a lot of hard work, and a little inspiration, Elizabeth graduated on time and enrolled in her local community college, where she is studying to become a nurse. Looking back on it all, Elizabeth explains that she wouldn’t want it any other way. “I’ve gained maturity and a daughter who makes my life worth living. Learn4Life helped me show her that anything is possible. They changed my story for the better.”