My name is Ashley Logsdon, I am 17 years old, and I am a junior at Middletown High School. On October 20th, 2005 I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Jonathan, becoming a teen mother, and a part of a growing problem in America. Unlike a lot of teen mothers, however, I took on the challenge of taking care of my son, being a house wife to my fiancé’, and going to school. I guess this will make me a non-traditional student in college even though I will be the traditional age.

  Out of all the things I have to do in a 24-hour period, I still have to find time for schoolwork, which proves to be more difficult than I expected. Somewhere in between messy feedings, diaper changes, playtime, and baths, I have to find time for homework. Granted, Jon (Jonathan’s father) helps out when ever he can; it has gotten increasingly hard as the baby is getting older. I’ve found that the best time to work is after Jonathan is in bed for the night. My choice of time has caused me to get about 4-5 hours of sleep a night. This is a price I have to pay to ensure that I will be able to get into college and get a good job to support my family in the future.

  Days at school last forever to me because it is hard at times to concentrate. Jonathan spends his mornings, 6:00am-2: 30pm, with his father. Even though I fully trust Jon with Jonathan, I still wonder how he is doing and if he’s all right. Due to this, it becomes hard to keep my attention directly on school. I must force myself to pay attention, and remind myself that he is in good hand.

  School is hard for me at times but I do well. I have a wonderful family that backs me. I have even gotten a head start on college by working with various MUM organizations such as Illuminati and KAOS.

  After high school graduation, I plan to go to Miami University Middletown to study to be a creative writing teacher. I realize this will take a lot of work, but I know I will get through it. I believe it takes a strong person to take on all the things I do (especially a teenager) and I know that if I have gotten this far, then I can meet any expectations in my life. I have been told that I will be on welfare and never get anywhere because I made the "mistake" of having a child. Now, some may view my decision as a mistake, but my son is a blessing and I love him more than I could ever explain. I will not stand for him to have a bad life. I want that baby to have everything he ever needs or wants, and no matter how much work that takes, it will be done to ensure he is happy. This is why I work as hard as I do today. I thank Miami University for encouraging me to so.

  It is worth it to see the smiles on my baby’s face every day and night. School is sometimes hard to handle with a 6 month old, but it’s something that has to be done so we can have a promising future. No matter what, all that matters is that Jonathan is happy and secure through out his life. The one of way of ensuring that: Working hard, and staying in school.