Teen Mothers Defying the Odds

Menlo Park, CA, June 18, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Seven teen mothers receive college scholarships.

Seven teen mothers received college scholarships at an event held in Menlo Park earlier this spring. The keynote address was delivered by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge and former teen mom Teresa Guerrero-Daley. Judge Guerrero-Daley shared her own remarkable story as a teen mom and high school dropout to being the first Latina elected to the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Over 100 people were in attendance including Teen Success, Inc. supporters, community stakeholders, and the scholarship recipients and their families.

Teen Success, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting teen mothers, hosted The Seeds We Plant, the third annual Teen Success, Inc. scholarship luncheon to honor the 2015 scholarship recipients. The mission of Teen Success, Inc. is to help underserved teen mothers and their children become educated, self sufficient, valued members of society. It was founded in 2011 by former California State Senator Becky Morgan to help teen mothers stay in school, graduate, and make good lives for themselves and their children. Teen Success, Inc. implements 16 teen mother support groups in the Bay Area, Monterey County, and Central Valley of California.

"We are thrilled to award seven scholarships this year," said Karin Kelley-Torregroza, Executive Director of Teen Success, Inc. "These scholarships are transformational. Most of these young women are the first in their families to go to college and in some cases, are even the first to graduate high school. They are creating positive futures for themselves and their children."

In California, there were more than 35,000 births to teen moms in 2013. The challenges of early parenthood are significant: 70% of teen mothers in California drop out of high school, one-fifth of teen moms have a second birth as a teen, and children born to teen mothers are more likely to score poorly on measures of school readiness. Teen Success, Inc. uses an evidence-informed program model in which first-time teen mothers meet once a week throughout the year to develop their skills, receive peer support, and connect to resources that help them reach their goals. 94% of Teen Success members have graduated high school or are on track to do so.

Judge Guerrero-Daley says that much of her success was possible due to the support she has received over the years and sees this opportunity to speak to the teen moms in Teen Success, Inc. as paying it forward. "I know they can do it because I did it," she says. "If I can inspire them with my story then it's all worth it."

About Teen Success, Inc.: Established in 2011, Teen Success, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that supports teen mothers and their children to get on the pathway to self-sufficiency and success. Teen Success, Inc. provides a peer support group program that addresses education and career, parenting, goal setting, and health and wellness. Teen Success, Inc. uses a strengths-based approach that respects, values, and harnesses the teen mother's own potential in order to shape her and her child's future. The program offers teen mothers membership into a support group in which they are mentored by professional facilitators and develop trusting, supportive relationships with their peers, who together inspire and empower them to reach their potential.