Kourtney, 18

Kourtney is getting ready for her senior year of high school. This is not your typical morning school routine. She takes a final glance in the mirror and gathers her school books, diaper bag and her 9-month old son, Kylan. Kourtney heads out to meet the Pathways Academy Charter School van to take them to school and daycare.

Kourtney is a student at Pathways Academy, working toward her high school diploma. She greets her boyfriend, who is also Kylan’s dad, in the hallway as they drop their child off at daycare. They walk to class and begin their day.

A few months ago, Kourtney was attending a well-known high school for the fine and performing arts. She fell in love with drama and theatre because she has a natural gift for singing and dancing. Kourtney enjoyed school, but she found it difficult to attend on a regular basis due to complications with her pregnancy. Kourtney delivered Kylan in October 2014, nearly two months before her due date. She missed a lot of school during her pregnancy and maternity leave. When she came back, she felt that she couldn’t get the help she needed to catch up.

After discussing her options with a school counselor, Kourtney discovered Pathways Academy. It was convenient for her and her son, especially with transportation assistance and onsite daycare. In addition to the traditional classes she needed to graduate, Kourtney found that she was still able to take the fine arts classes that she enjoyed so much, like photography and art.

Kourtney takes the majority of her classes online, which allows her to work at an accelerated pace. With six more classes to go, she is working her way toward graduation in August 2015.

Not once did Kourtney let her pregnancy become an obstacle in her life. She saw it as an opportunity pursue bigger and better things for herself and her child.