That's me and my youngest Head Start baby 13 years later!
A Dream Realized!
Erin, 21 Jodi, 38 Eean, 16
"Always get a good education", words to live by!
Two College Graduates, Mother & Son!
A mother at age 16, Graduate Degree at 38! A lot went into the past 22 years, tears, fears and faith. Today I face a world where everything I want is possible and nothing is doubtful. Becoming a parent at an early early age was a scary thing. No certainity, no real idea of what life would look like for me and a child that I had no clue of how to raise. My mother, a "Mother Like No Other", knew 1 thing; FAILURE was not an option! So we continued to live with life's adjustments and soon life would reveal that no goal is unatainable. A mother of 3 by age 23!
At age 4 my daughter entered Pre-K and I entered the world of volunteering. Volunteering would be the key to success for my family and I. Everyday Taj, my 2 and a half year-old did 1 of 2 things while Erin was in class, sit in the open area outside of her pre-k classroom or go to my grandmother's house until Erin got out of school.
I remember a very tall woman inviting me to visit "The Parent Room", the place where I would grow and graduate from The School of Volunteering! See this was the place that nutured me and groomed into a LIFE LONG VOLUNTEER. This was the place where I would learn VOLUNTEERING can take you a long ways, this was the place where who I was as a young mother did not matter. I learned, grew and developed skills as a volunteer.
A few years into volunteering at the same school, a Head Start program was developing in the building. Taj my middle children was almost ready to enter school and I was pregnant with my 3rd child. I remember attending Open House Head Start held in the school auditorium. The Program Director said, "We Head Start for infants too", as she rubbed my belly (Iwas pregnant with Eean, child #3).
The following year Taj was ready! The 1st part of the day he went to kindergarden and the 2nd part to Head Start. At the time I dedicated the majority of my volunteer time to the elementary school. At age 3, Eean my youngest child entered Head Start and here is where I would finaly begin to understand there was life after teen pregnancy!
I received a flyer for a Head Start Policy Committee Meeting, I went and that day life changed for me! I became a member of Policy Committee, Total Parent Group, Alternate Representative for Baltimore City Head Start Parent Policy Council and later Chairperson of the Board of Directors of my Head Start Program. A trip to New York City for a Parent Conference was the Ulitimate change of life. I stood in the hotel lobby talking to my Director by phone, I was excited and rambled on and on. She listened, never interupted me and when I stop she said, "Jodi, you are going to be my Success Story!"
That was December 1994. By June 1996 I became the Parent Advocate/Administrative Assitant of the Extended Services Program of Ashland Head Start, Inc. I remained with Ashland until June 2006. During that time frame I went from volunteer to employee in 3 different capacities. Earned 2 college degrees and enter a Graduate Program for an advanced degree.
I completed my 1st degree, June 2002 in Human Services. Erin,my oldest child and only daughter graduated from High School, June 2004 and entered college August 2004. Two thousand five would prove to be historic for our family; Taj, Eean and I were all graduates! Taj graduated from High School, Eean graduated from Middle School and I graduated from Morgan State University with degree #2, Bachelor of Science in Social Work.
In the fall of 2005, Eean entered Calvert Hall College High School as a Freshman, Taj entered and Erin transfered to Baltimore City Community Collge. Just 1 semester later Taj excelled and became a Granville T. Woods Scholar and I began Graduate School January, 2006.
Taj received is Associates Degree in June 2007 and later that year he entered La Salle University. Erin transfered to Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, to pursue her basket ball dreams. By mid December, 2007 I completed the Graduate Program and had earned my Master's degree in Social Work!
Today, Eean and I are the only 2 at home, but not for long. Eean is a senior and will graduate from Calvert Hall College High School May 30, 2009. He has been accepted in Philadelaphia University and St. Johns College in Queens, New York. Eean has played basket ball all for years in high school, voted Best Dressed of the Senior Class 2009, is Vice President of Black Awareness Club and will be a model along with me, his Mom in the Spring Fashion Show; 1 of the biggest fundraiser events at Calvert Hall.
Wow, who'd a thunk it!
The past 22 years have presented some very trying times, when I didn't know how I was going to make it. Hard times when I didn't believe in myself. Devistating times when your mother dies and you realize that the 1 person that carried you threw was gone and there was absolutely no 1 who could fill her shoes. See my father still lives, but he left so, Helena held it down. Both Mother and Grandmother; she gave all she had and I mean ALL she had. Love, money, time, energy and even her own life to make sure we had. It was her words that continuiously rang in my ear, "No matter what you do get an education!" Her famous words and my motto to live by.
Head Start has been a great experience for my family and I. Today I am once again working in Head Start. Empowering families sharing my experience and introducing them to a powerful program that gives a head start to a great life!