Facing Doubt, Finding Courage
By: Diana Farias Heinrich, Teen Success
Tags: Moms, Parenting, Inspiration, Youth, Education

A young mother’s story

Vanessa and her son, Elias

“What if I can’t make it?” Vanessa Blanco, 18, asked herself when she found out she was pregnant, “What if I can’t make it through high school?” her thoughts ran, “Will you judge me as another mom who didn’t graduate?”

Vanessa, like many young moms, has faced self-doubt time and again. It takes incredible courage to be a mom, to provide for a child, and face judgment and shaming from strangers for being young and having a child.

Elias, Vanessa’s 11-month-old, keeps her moving forward and striving to do her best. “He gets mad really fast,” Vanessa shares. “He crawls and wants to get things that aren’t for him and gets mad when I won’t let him.”

Although Vanessa doubts herself sometimes, she draws strength from her son, enjoys him, and continues to move forward with courage.

“Vanessa is very perseverant in coaching,” says her Teen Success, Inc. Advocate, Bethashley. “We push through all, ‘the mess,’ and then turn around and get things done, like her FAFSA. She’s amazing.”

Vanessa Blanco Teen Success, Inc. Salinas participant, pictured with her son, Elias

n high school, Vanessa came across Teen Success, Inc. through another participant, and joined. She learned from the other young mothers in the program, from what they experienced in pregnancy to how they were facing their own challenges having had their children. “Teen Success gives us a lot of help,” Vanessa says. “Bethashley brings things in drop off [because of COVID-19].”

Self-doubt made Vanessa think she might not graduate high school, but she found the resiliency and support she needed in Teen Success to keep going. “Don’t give up on your dreams,” she advises other young moms like herself. “Go to college. Go to work. Have faith in yourself. And don’t let others tell you you can’t do it.”

Between her Advocate’s encouragement, and a thoughtful teacher who shared her own story about being a parenting student — Vanessa pushed through the self-doubt, graduated high school, and decided to apply for college.

“It’s a lot of pressure to find and pay for a daycare, work, and enroll in school, while having a child,” says Vanessa.

Vanessa plants a kiss on her son, Elias

In December Vanessa is starting a new job in retail and then in January 2021, she’s going to start in Hartnell College’s teaching program. To make it work, she needed to find and pay for daycare for Elias, but because of COVID-19, not many daycares are open or they have waitlists that can take years. Without an income yet to pay for it, it was hard to find a daycare that would take Elias.

Vanessa talked to her Advocate about the situation and she referred Vanessa to CalWORKs to help subsidize the cost of childcare. Although Vanessa was already enrolled in CalWORKs, she didn’t know they would pay for childcare in some circumstances.

Vanessa found an independent childcare service that would accept CalWORKs payment of the bill and this is how Vanessa will be able to start work and attend college classes in the coming months.

Although Vanessa’s family supports her as best as they can, she knows she needs to work now and get an education to provide for her son in the future too, especially as a single mom.

“My best right now is to take care of my son. I’m going to do it, I’m going to graduate [from college].”

Vanessa has everything it takes to achieve her goals, and her strength and resiliency will see her through all of life’s challenges and its opportunities.