School can be stressful as it is, and sometimes life can add to that, especially for teen parents.
At Surfside High in Oceanside, however, staff members are supporting student parents all the way through graduation.
“Strength isn’t always loud,” says Juliana Arispe, who just graduated from Surfside High. “Sometimes it’s a young mom holding her baby in one arm and her future in the other.”
The 18-year-old Arispe had fallen behind on her school credits, but with Surfside’s educational model, she was able to catch up and graduate ahead of time.
“I was able to come to school and, like, be able to do my schoolwork, be able to be in class and know that he’s perfectly OK here,” Arispe said.
TheOceanside Unified School District recognizes how critical it was to keep its child development center open.
“Funding has been difficult for a lot of districts in maintaining this program,” said Eric Frandsen, the principal of Surfside High. “For us, it’s a priority. I mean, we’re all about making sure we’re meeting the needs of the kids where they’re at, and the fact of the matter is: There’s a lot of teen parents out there, and they need a place to build a future.”
In the Child Development Center, staff help mothers with laundry, give them clothing and, most important, accept transfers from students year-round.
“He’s going to grow up knowing that his momma never gave up to do anything and still graduated on time with having a kid at a young age,” Arispe said.
Arispe hopes other teen moms keep chasing their dreams and education.
“Just because you had a baby at a young age doesn’t mean your future is ruined,” Arispe said. “Just don’t give up, because I wanted to give up so many times, but I did it for him.”
Surfside High accepts applications and transfers from teen parents year-round, even from other school districts.