"A child raising a child." I remember hearing that a lot and feeling the judgement when people would ask my age and my daughters, I'd answer with hesitation as they quickly did the math. 

​

Yes, I had my daughter at sixteen. No, statistics didn't win. But society did for a little because the stigma and perception from others really did affect me. I've fought through depression, forced a smile on my darkest day, was timid to ask questions or for help, and had been backed into a corner out of fear of judgement.

 

But that’s done and over! I've taken power in the fact that being a younger mother and single mother doesn’t make me less or that it means I can't accomplish things.

 

I spent so much time scrambling around trying to learn how to further my education, how to rebuild confidence, how to raise a strong girl, how to buy a home, just so many things! And in this journey I’ve learned a lot, what I want to do is pass that along to other women while also building each other up.

​

My journey will not have been in vein, I hope someone can use my experience as their survival guide.

​