Patricia"I'm a mom. I have a daughter, Passion, because that’s what she is to me."


Timid and quiet with outsiders, Patricia is the last person you would expect to be a teen mother. As the 17-year-old mother of a two year old, Patricia’s primary motivation has moved beyond the scope of most high school students. Entirely cognizant of the responsibilities she carries, her primary goal is to create a better life for her child. Intensely close to her family, her mom and brother share the responsibility for caring for her daughter while Patricia finishes high school. Until recently, for her mother, this has meant balancing a night job with a babysitting job during the daytime. Although her mom’s recent layoff has eased time constraints, it has strained already stretched finances even more. But Patricia always keeps her head up: “She’ll find a job eventually, and everything’ll be back to normal,” she says with a sheepish grin.

Balancing motherhood, academics, ROTC, sports, and being a teen has been a challenge for Patricia. But, in spite of all of these barriers to her achievement, she continues to make the A honor roll and remains steadfast in her pursuit of success. Patricia is likely her most severe critic: “I probably got one B out of all classes. Made me mad though ‘cause I missed perfect.” When Patricia attends the University of Houston in the fall, her mother will take over caring for Passion full time, a separation that although Patricia knows is necessary, will be almost unbearable. “I don’t know what I’ll do without her. It’ll be hard, but I know I gotta do it.”