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Success Story

2008 Annual Teen Parent Graduation Brunch

We were very proud to participate in the 2008 Tenth Annual Teen Parent Graduation Brunch on May 20. This impressive event co hosted by Sonoma County CalSAFE programs and Department of Health Services Teen Parent Connections, featured graduating teen parents from all over Sonoma County and represented fourteen different high schools. It was a privilege to honor these magnificent young women and men who raised their children, faced the pressures of high school and still made it to graduation.

The event, held at the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) main site, was attended by students, dignitaries, administrators, Board members, teachers, social workers, child care workers and support staff, who applauded the accomplishments of the graduates. They represented the proud achievements of all the teen parents who graduated in the year 2008, when we had over 45 students countywide receiving their high school diplomas.

We were pleased to have a number of our graduates share with us their challenges and accomplishments: our speakers were Aida Ocegura from Creekside High, Martha Ponce Rojas from San Antonio High, Crystal Andrade from SCOE-Adera, Eduardo Nunez from SCOE Independent Study and Blanca Rodriguez from Windsor Oaks Academy. The teens brave retelling of their lives held the audience spell bound and even caused administrators to choke up at the podium. What an amazing and courageous group of young people! Additionally we were graced by teen mom Andrea Naverrete, a Santa Rosa High graduate, who shared her musical talent playing an interlude piece "Danny Rock" on her violin!

Dr. Carl Wong, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools and Rita Scardaci, Director Sonoma County Health Services, presented each graduate with a certificate of achievement and a medallion to acknowledge their accomplishments and commemorate the event. Carl and Rita congratulated each teen individually and had private words of praise for the young speakers who had so moved us with their difficult histories and barriers overcome, and who had each generously recognized the adults who helped them along the way.

Special recognition was given to this year's scholarship recipients. The Reily Flaherty Laub Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Sarah Fonseca, Healdsburg High, Areli Acosta, Adera High and Shelby Summers, Creekside High. Areli and Shelby were also awarded the Redwood Empire Auxiliary League Scholarship. These awards denote the graduates' intention of pursuing further education. We wish them continued success.

The program featured Alumni Speaker, Celia Saldana, a 2004 graduate of Creekside High and the mother of twins! Celia shared her disappointments and struggles, providing the audience with details of her post high school journey, obtaining her Certified Nursing Assistant qualification and now working full time at Sonoma Valley Hospital. Celia's longer term goal is to become Registered Nurse. Celia currently holds a second job to help pay her bills, run a car, rent her own apartment and ensure that her twins have all they need and she strongly encouraged the teens to continue their education. She emphasized the potential each teen parent has to succeed and that they must be willing to fight hard for what they want, particularly as a single parent to maintain their independence and be successful both professionally and as a parent. Our thanks go out to Celia who provided a moving and bitter sweet speech and who demonstrated tremendous courage in sharing her story and success.

Our eloquent Keynote Speaker was Wanda Tapia, Nutrition Educator with the University of California Cooperative Extension and Coordinator of the Latino Service Providers network. Wanda was very open about the challenges she faced as a teen mother and the obstacles she overcame both personal and professional. She told us about her early struggles, the opportunities she took advantage of, her determination to succeed e.g. returning to school and finding a mentor in her employer. She faced many problems along the way, and frequently doubted herself, but she never stopped trying. With hindsight she barely recognizes the frightened teen mom who eventually went on to become the President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – quite an accomplishment! Her example was one of never giving up, being open to new experiences, taking whatever help is offered, making the most of that help and remember when the time comes that you can give back to your community in small or large ways, that you do just that! Wanda's honesty, humor and courage moved the audience both to tears and to laughter! Thank you to Wanda for all her inspirations and support of teen parents and the community at large.

Congratulations to all the graduates and teachers. Thank you to our presenters and speakers and special thanks to all the support staff who worked behind the scenes pulling this together. Our thanks also go to Windsor Unified School District's Culinary Department for the delicious food and to Santa Rosa Junior College for the beautiful flowers. We truly appreciate SCOE's staging of the event and look forward to next year's success stories.

A sincere thank you to all who participated in this year's Brunch. It was truly a worthwhile endeavor.

- Pauline Richardson, Program Manager

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"Jenny" entered Teen Parent Connections (TPC) at age 17, parenting a 3 month old son. At that time she was living with her partner in a rented room and looking for stable housing, assistance with re-entering school, and a social support system. Jenny also had history of panic attacks and depression.

Jenny had little family support due to her parents' polysubstance abuse and recurring homelessness. She was never encouraged to go to school and dropped out during junior high, becoming sexually active and seeking emotional and financial support from males.

Jenny met her current partner at age 16 and became pregnant. They moved in with Jenny's stepfather, but this situation was precarious due to the number of people living in the house and the drug activity involved, so that Jenny had to move again.

When she met with her TPC case manager, Jenny expressed a desire to take care of her health, find stable housing, learn parenting skills, get transportation and start a school program. She also asked the Case Manager to help her "get self esteem - I've never been told I'm good at anything."

With Jenny's hard work and commitment to TPC, the case manager assisted Jenny with finding stable housing (by providing housing lists, referrals to housing assistance agencies and assisting with applications), where she now lives with her partner and child.

The case manager also assisted Jenny with learning self-care strategies and how to follow-up on her health needs. She helped Jenny find a medical provider, set up appointments and maintain Medi-Cal coverage, and taught Jenny how to advocate for herself with physicians and Medi-Cal. Jenny now has the confidence to schedule her own appointments and ask for assistance. Consequently, Jenny is now using an on-going birth control method and getting regular physical exams for herself and her child.

The case manager also explored with Jenny her depression and panic attacks, and suggested that Jenny discuss these issues with her physician. She accompanied Jenny to her first appointment to discuss these issues and provide support. Jenny is now open to counseling referrals and taking medication. She has not had a panic attack since starting the medication, and feels motivated to take initiatives to help herself.

The case manager also brought Jenny bus schedules and a map, and assisted her with learning how to use the public bus system to get to her clinic and school. Jenny's biggest obstacle had been enrolling in a school program, since she had not been on a school campus in over five years and had been afraid of having a panic attack. She was also embarrassed by her lack of education. The case manager accompanied Jenny (now too old for the regular school system) to a community college campus where she could take the GED course/test, and showed Jenny how to get around the campus and where to ask for assistance. Jenny recently went to the campus on her own using the bus, and went through the orientation process to start her GED.

Throughout these achievements, the case manager has provided Jenny with information and education on child development, and has assisted Jenny in maintaining her son's Medi-Cal coverage and ongoing well-child checkups and immunizations. Jenny is quick to thank TPC for assistance, and her case manager is quick to acknowledge to Jenny that it is through her hard work, motivation and skills that she is able to get her own and her child's needs met. Jenny plans to complete her GED and enroll in courses for a child development certificate.