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Success Story

2009 Annual Teen Parent Graduation Brunch

We were very proud to participate in the 2009 Eleventh Annual Teen Parent Graduation Brunch on May 18. 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 twenty different high schools. It was a privilege to honor these magnificent young women (and young 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, 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 2009, when we had over 82 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 Ana Ramirez, Adera High, Laura Rodriguez, Creek side High, Jan-Mariah Gonsalves and Elizabeth Zamudio, Nueva Vista High, Jessica Ezell, San Antonio High and Maria Rodriguez, Windsor Oaks Academy. All of these students moved and inspired us with their stories of challenges met and hopes for the future they are building for themselves and their child. They spoke of the difficulties they faced, the problems of poverty, drugs, domestic violence, separation and death, alongside the joys of loving their child and the lessons they had learned. All of them want a better life and are actively striving toward this. Getting that diploma is one step along the way. What amazing young women!

Dr. Carl Wong, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools and Elisabeth Chicoine, Sonoma County Health Services Director of Nursing, presented each graduate with a certificate of achievement and a medallion to acknowledge their accomplishments and commemorate the event. Special recognition was given to this year's scholarship recipients. The Reily Flaherty Laub Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Ana Ramiriez and Heather Drexler. Heather also received Redwood Empire Auxiliary League Scholarship along with fellow awardees, Daisy Carlino and Veronic Alvarez.. Jan - Mariah Gonsalves and Elizabeth Nagel were awarded the Cynthia Richtmeier and Chris U'ren Scholarships respectively and Jose Bracamontes received both the Ed Grosssi and Henris Family Scholarships. All of these awards denote the graduates' intention of pursuing further education.

The program also featured Keynote, Carolina Diaz-Gastineau and Alumni, Elia Diaz. This mother- daughter speaker team shared their history of immigration and assimilation into the US, the challenges they faced as teenage parents and how they have used the vehicle of education to build a nurturing family and become self sufficient, contributing members of our community. Carolina is currently a teacher at Healdsburg High School, and will complete her Masters in 2010 alongside Elia who will graduate with a BA in Criminal Justices, both from Sonoma State University. Elia anticipates a career in probation and made a point of thanking her Teen Parent Connections social worker, Maria Merodio-Alvarado for all the support and assistance along the way.

In fact each teen speaker made a point of acknowledging the help they had received from all those present, some identifying a teacher, some a principal, some their social worker and some all three! It was obvious that these young parents all appreciate the support of their extended community and are grateful to have been giving the opportunity to take the challenge of being pregnant as a teen and use that to turn their lives around toward making a positive future for themselves and their children.

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. Most of all we want to thank our graduates who present us with the inspiration of their success.

- 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.