HEALTH
It Takes a College K
at Altier-Jeffers is a typical junior studying creative writing at Ohio University. They enjoy creating and selling digital illustrations online and work part-time in the Career and Leadership Development Center. But there is one thing that truly makes Altier-Jeffers stand out from the majority of students at OU — they have a one-yearold son. Although Altier-Jeffers did not plan on becoming a parent during college, it was a blessing in disguise. “I actually have reproductive health problems. It was one of those things where I wasn’t necessarily planning on having a child at this point in my life, but at the same time I was afraid it would be my only opportunity. So, I just went ahead,” Altier-Jeffers says. Fortunately, they did not face much backlash from friends and family upon the news. Altier-Jeffers says that their friends noticed pregnancy signs before they even found out. “My family was pretty positive about it,” Altier-Jeffers says. “And my friends were definitely on my side saying they would support me through everything if I ever needed a babysitter or if I ever needed somebody to talk to. I don’t have a lot of friends actually inside college, and so a lot of my friends already are parents.” Altier-Jeffers is not the first, and will not be the last, person to experience an unexpected pregnancy during their young adult years. According to the Pew Research Center, “In 2018, the birth rate among 15 to 19-year-old girls and women was less than half of what it had been in 2008 (41.5 births per 1,000).” However, despite this statistic, the number of adolescent pregnancies in rural counties, like the Appalachian region, is not declining as it is in the rest of the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data from the National Vital Statistics System revealed that, “From 2007 through 2015, the teen birth rate was lowest in large urban counties and highest in rural counties.” Altier-Jeffers worked to support their family after graduating
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backdrop | Fall 2020
BY HELEN WIDMAN PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KAT ALTIER-JEFFERS
Kat Altier-Jeffers is both a parent and a student at Ohio University who exemplifies how access to resources can make all the difference in young parenthood.
high school and started college a couple years later, in addition to taking a leave of absence due to pregnancy. Now, they’re a junior at OU working to support another family — one that consists of a baby and a husband. Altier-Jeffers and their husband, Austin Jeffers, have been together for over seven years. The couple was engaged when Altier-Jeffers became pregnant in early summer 2018 and married the following October. In addition to working, studying and parenting, Altier-Jeffers is also perfecting a website where they sell custom illustrations that will hopefully help finance their young family. “As of right now, it’s just kind of like a side hustle to sometimes make ends meet,” Altier-Jeffers says. “I’m just a crafty person in general, and I feel like if I can use that to either brighten someone’s day or get an idea out of their head, or even just to make me a little money to make ends meet, then it’s totally worth putting a little effort towards.” Altier-Jeffers currently resides in Pomeroy, near Athens, and commuted to campus for classes before the pandemic. “I think the hardest part is that I am a college student,” Altier-Jeffers says. “So, it’s definitely a balancing act balancing childcare and work and college and still trying to have time for myself. I think the most difficult thing is sleep.”
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So, it's definitely a balancing act balancing childcare and work and college and still trying to have time for myself.” KAT ALTIER-JEFFERS OU JUNIOR AND PARENT
