By Nyla R.
One Teen’s Story: “I Could Have Been a Statistic, But I’m Not”

By Nyla R.

Nyla and her son

Nyla and her son

I could have been a statistic – a teen parent struggling to survive with my child. But I am not, thanks to an amazing organization called Healthy Babies Project.

My journey began in 2011 when I was a student at HD Woodson High School and discovered I was pregnant. I wanted to know how to prepare for parenting and become the best mother I could be to my son. I was introduced to Healthy Babies Project’s Teen Parent Empowerment Program (TPEP), part of the New Height Teen Parent Program. The HBP staff visited my school weekly to discuss issues and topics about being a parent. I connected with the staff and enjoyed learning about prenatal health, parenting, careers, and how to become empowered and informed as a parent.

HBP Opened Doors of Opportunity

That year after I graduated from high school I decided to re-enroll in TPEP so that I could continue to expand my knowledge, participate in classes, and take advantage of the many opportunities HBP provides for its teen parents. Recently, Healthy Babies Project offered me an opportunity for leadership development as an intern with one of their partner organizations, Perennial Strategy Group. As a Government Relations and Public Affairs intern at Perennial, I research, gather data, learn more about their work and advance my skills.  My work at Perennial has given me the opportunity to grow mentally, personally, and professionally.

Inspiration for a Future-Filled Life

Perennial is a place filled with dedicated, hard-working employees. The team and CEO Lamell McMorris go above and beyond to make sure their work always reflects excellence. Their personal strength, hard work, dedication, and standards make me want to excel. These professionals are focused. They inspire me to work harder. Because I am around people who strive to do their best, I want to do my best or even better.

The experience has allowed me to prove to myself. It opened my eyes to greater things and so many possibilities when I work hard, push myself, and dedicate myself.

I am grateful for Perennial Strategy Group and Healthy Babies Project for taking the time to nurture and cultivate me, my son, and other teen parents. Their commitment and dedication continues to make a difference my life and the lives of so many others like me. Because of that support, today I am not a statistic, nor is my child. Instead, we have a future-filled life.

Find out how you can partner with Healthy Babies Project to make a difference in the the life of a teen mom and her child when you contact us.