Brianna was 13 years old and eight months pregnant as she sat in the school social worker’s office, telling her parents of her pregnancy only a few weeks before she was due with her son, Jonathan.
Now, she is a thriving 22-year-old mother of two, graduate of Kindred Life Ministries’ teen mother program, manager of a restaurant, and owner of both a car and home that she bought herself.
During her first pregnancy, her school social worker recommended she investigate Kindred Life’s program, and Brianna began attending just after Jonathan’s birth. She benefitted from the one-on-one mentoring, the community of girls in similar situations to her own, and the practical Life Education nights. Brianna said that having someone there to continually push her to do better was key to her success, which she found through Kindred Life.
Though the road was not easy, Brianna worked hard to buy a car and earn her high school diploma during her time in the Kindred Life program. She graduated from Kindred Life in 2015.
Currently, Brianna has two sons, Jonathan and Jayceon. Jonathan has worked hard to become a straight-A student, and Jayceon is thriving in an autism early-interventions program. Brianna herself is heavily involved in her sons’ lives, attending football events and therapy sessions and providing for her sons’ daily needs. She manages a restaurant and recently bought her own home, which is fully paid off. In the future, she aims to buy and sell more homes.
“I feel relieved when I see my kids with a smile on their face and I get to come home every day to something that is mine,” Brianna said.
Brianna is still involved with Kindred Life in various ways, providing meals, volunteering at Life Education nights, and participating in fundraising events.