Teen Mom Profile: Alena and Merlin

Teen mom Alena got pregnant her senior year of high school. She was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe type of nausea during pregnancy. Because of her medical issues, Alena had to drop out. She became frustrated with the lack of options for her and her 14-month-old son, Merlin. Alena was breastfeeding, and wanted to keep that important connection with her son while going to school. At a traditional high school, Alena could not be a successful student and teen mom at the same time. Alena began to lose hope, until she found Florence Crittenton High School. Alena is thrilled that she can continue breastfeeding while she goes to school because Merlin attends the Early Childhood Education Center on the Florence Crittenton Campus. She has thrived in her first year at Florence Crittenton.

At Florence Crittenton, Alena has found a strong sense of community. She looks forward to coming to school every day with Merlin, and feels that Florence Crittenton is “more than a school, but a place that I have formed friendships that will last my whole life.” The sense of support that she and her son feel at Florence Crittenton has inspired Alena to bring support services to young mothers who do not have similar opportunities in other states. Alena is beginning her concurrent enrollment at Community College of Denver in the Spring, while Merlin continues his education in the Early Head Start room at Florence Crittenton’s Early Childhood Education Center.

Learn more about Florence Crittenton High School, Early Childhood Education Center and the other programs Florence Crittenton offers.