From February 2008:
There are several pregnant students walking the halls of Chamblee High School. When seen in the hallway, people may or may not judge them without knowing them. People rarely take the time to find out who these students are
Senior Raquel Alleyne refuses to let her pregnancy keep her from accomplishing her goals.
“I don’t feel like people treat me any differently than they normally would,” said Alleyne.
With the support of her friends and family, she plans to graduate college, attend medical school, and pursue a career as a pediatrician.
“We’ll manage,” said Alleyne. “Nothing is impossible.”
Unlike Alleyne, senior Molly Craft sees a definite change in the way people treat her once it became obvious that she was pregnant.
“People look at my stomach instead of looking at my face,” said Craft.
At random times, Craft is often subject to people touching her stomach and asking about her pregnancy. She rolled her eyes as she explained how irritating it is to constantly be approached by strangers.
“I may be pregnant, but this is still my personal space,” said Craft.
Although she has the support of her family and friends, Craft is determined to become self-sufficient. She plans to graduate from college and become an elementary school teacher.
“I push myself to get up in the morning because I know I have to graduate. It is not a choice,” said Craft.
The father of Craft’s baby plans to be part of his child’s life, and his full time job allows him to contribute financially to the situation. Although Craft appreciates the father’s emotional support, she feels at times he wants to do too much.
“He wants to do everything and I have to tell him he can’t do everything,” said Craft. “ But other than that he’s been perfect.”
The additional support a pregnant student receives from the school depends on their individual situations. The school may not be able to provide additional support from every aspect, but assistant principal of attendance Michelle Jones guaranteed that any needed academic and emotional support will be given.
“Every situation is different. Additional support depends on the timing and we just try to work with them,” said Jones.
The pregnant students are assisted on a person-to-person basis. There are many things to consider such as cultural differences, the status of the parents, along with the other things the mother-to-be will deal with. This is where the school social worker, who helps with outside resources, comes into play.
“The key is staying on track in school and finishing what they started,” said Jones.