Lindsay was a fairly typical student when she started high school. She attended classes regularly but wasn’t taking school too seriously. She certainly didn’t realize the impact high school would have on her future. Then, at 14 years old, Lindsay got pregnant. She had her daughter, Aliyah, when she was 15. Suddenly, high school became very different. Lindsay’s classmates judged her as a young mother, and she was miserable. “Everyone assumed that because I had a child, I wasn’t cool enough to hang out with anymore,” she remembers. “Some of my long time friends essentially abandoned our friendship and stopped talking to me.” Lindsay tried online school during her freshman year while she was pregnant, but she hated it. She needed a place that reminded her that she was still a teenager, a place that would give her a sense of normalcy.
Lindsay’s mom found Florence Crittenton Services while doing an internet search for schools for teen moms. Lindsay enrolled, and at first came to campus with the intent of only attending classes and getting her diploma. After a couple of months, she realized that Florence Crittenton Services was much more than a school. The staff helped her with personal issues, understanding that, sometimes, as a mom, getting to school was a challenge. Lindsay took advantage of the many unique things Florence Crittenton Services provided to help her stay on track like the ECEC, the Phoenix Express, Baby Bucks basic needs store, Holiday GIVING, and the legal clinic. The staff became her family, and nurtured her growth. The teachers pushed her to accomplish things she had given up on when she became pregnant. Lindsay graduated in 2013 as the valedictorian of her class, a dream she never thought she would achieve.
Life after Florence Crittenton Services has continued to challenge Lindsay, but she takes it all in stride. She started college at CU Denver in 2013, but had to put school on the backburner when she was surprised with another pregnancy. In 2014, she gave birth to her daughter Jaedyn. Lindsay’s number one priority now is providing for her kids. She is currently working as the Administrative Assistant here at Florence Crittenton Services, proving that, even after you graduate, this is a community with strong ties. Her daughter Aliyah, who attended the ECEC, is in second grade, and is in the top of her class. As for goals, Lindsay wants her family to be financially stable and to have a degree under her belt. Thanks to FloCrit, she feels prepared to chase those goals. “FloCrit taught me that life is never easy, especially as a young mom with a child to support,” Lindsay says. “They instilled a fearlessness in me that has me determined to provide for my kids.”
