path of purpose

forget, to say you are sorry, and to cover each other's mistakes. Ephesian 4:1-3 was an inspiration and not only did God work in our lives, but both of our parents served as excellent role models as to what a marriage could and should be."

Three years later they decided—with intention—to have a second child. Shelley was 19 and still a teenager, but she knew she was ready to continue her journey as a mom. The proud parents welcomed Jasmine, named after Chris’s beloved grandmother, in May 1992.

Shelley nannied other children and cared for Justin and Jasmine for a little over a year before, finally, enrolling full time at NDSU. After a few false starts with her major, a little voice from her past popped into her head. Perhaps it was a message from God or simply a moment of realization for Shelley, but she knew what her calling was. Shelley was going to major in child development and family science, just as that compassionate counselor who had first treated her had done.

“I realized I wanted to help people, other girls, because of what she did for me with my first pregnancy,” she explains. “Once I started taking classes, it felt so natural.”

She was extraordinarily good at it. Shelley graduated in the top five percent of her class with a 3.70 Grade Point Average. After following an unpredictable path for so long, Shelley was now in control of her dreams and destiny.

“My main goal in going to college was that if something happened to Chris or our relationship, I would always be able to provide for our kids. Not the government. Not my family. I wanted to be able to do it on my own,” she says firmly.

The Visionary

An epidemic of teenage pregnancy swept our nation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there were 117 pregnancies for every 1,000 teen girls. Shelley was one of four girls in her high school to get pregnant so young.

At the time Minnesota recognized the issue and counseling and crisis agencies across the state formed Partners in Parenting programs, a support group for young parents that, to this day, provides education, parenting information, and support through weekly socialization groups. However, when Shelley was a senior at NDSU she did an internship at a crisis center in Detroit Lakes and saw that not much had changed from her experience as a teen mom.

“I remember feeling like there was no one like me,” says Shelley, explaining she felt alone, isolated, and judged during her pregnancy and subsequent return to school. “I really wanted someone who I could identify with.”

Intrigued by the work done at the crisis center, Shelley knew this was the path she wanted her career to follow. Soon after her college graduation, she was offered the Coordinator position for the Partners In Parenting program in Detroit Lakes. It was a perfect match for Shelley, who had just welcomed baby number three, Reece, into the family in October 1999. Shelley met mostly with teen moms [although there were a few dads, too] and mentored them through their experiences. If anyone could identify with what these young girls were feeling, it was Shelley.

“I think anybody who can teach by example, show students that ‘I’ve been there, I’ve lived where you’ve lived, and I am now a successful parent, have a successful career, and I’m a positive influence in the community and I’ve found a way to contribute and give back to a population that struggles’—that’s a great teacher,” states Lisa Weber, principal of Detroit Lakes High School.

The Detroit Lakes Public Schools had an Independent Study program to help meet the needs of non-traditional students, like teen moms, but the district found gaps in the system and decided to start an Area Learning Center.

“The Independent Study Program was a good first step but it was all on the students,” says Shelley. “ISPs work for very few people in the world, especially those struggling through a teenage pregnancy or for other circumstances such as needing to work and help the family with finances. When the district decided to start the ALC, they hadn’t thought about serving teen parents.”

Shelley had an idea. She asked her boss if she could draft up an alternative proposal.

Some participants are recovering from poor grades and need more individualized attention. Some need to keep their jobs and finish school. Some are pregnant. Some are new parents. Some have just returned from rehab. the mentor

Jena Fingalson felt scared and alone when she found out she was going to have a baby in 2007.

“I spent my senior year in high school with Shelley and attended all of her parenting activities. Shelley always

“What we needed was an Area Learning Center [ALC] seat-based program with a Teenage Parent Program component,” she explains. “No matter how much time we give it, or how hard we try to change things, teen pregnancies will always happen. It will never be acceptable, and I would prefer that there were less teen pregnancies, but we still needed to find a way to help these moms graduate high school.” tried to have us think outside the box and wanted us to be great parents. Since she was a young mom, it was very easy to relate to her,” says Jena. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘I can’t wait to be a successful mother like she is.’ I even contemplated on a profession like Shelley’s. She is able to really mold a girl to be a great mother and I think that would be so rewarding.”

The school board approved her idea and also decided to incorporate a concept called ‘layered programming’ for students enrolled at the ALC. For example, pregnant teens not only take academic classes from regular core subject teachers, but they also participate in a daily parent education class and continue to be enrolled in Partners in Parenting as an after-school program.

The ALC offers schooling for up to 72 students at one time who need a nontraditional path toward graduation.

The Area Learning Center has been a resounding success, says Shelley. The program has graduated 20–30 students a year and Shelley has had at least two to four of her teen moms finish high school each year.

“Shelley has a commitment and a passion for early childhood education and parenting that helps her connect with her students in a way that maybe other people don’t or can’t,” explains Lisa. “She is sincere and genuine and her kids pick up on that. They believe