Kiana’s Balancing Act

Kiana didn’t know if she’d be able to return to East Ridge High School for her senior year. After having a baby at the end of her junior year, she struggled to balance schoolwork with her newfound responsibilities as a parent. She tried to come to class but often had to miss periods of school (or even whole days) to take care of her baby. 

Then she started working with Ms. Takeisha, the CISTN program manager at East Ridge High, at the beginning of the school year. Takeisha wanted to make sure that Kiana knew she had an adult in the building who was always there for her, so at first, they met as often as two or three times a week, even if it was only for a brief check-in. 

Kiana poses for senior pictures in her dance team uniform.

Ms. Takeisha let Kiana take the lead in deciding what her most pressing needs were and what goals she wanted to work on first. Kiana’s first priority was taking care of her baby, since she often skipped school in order to care for her infant. Ms. Takeisha connected the new mom with three different area non-profits that provide diapers, formula, baby clothes, and other essential resources for parents. 

Ms. Takeisha also helped source clothing donations from her friends, so that Kiana and other teen moms at the school have plenty of outfits as their babies rapidly grow. After Kiana and another student lost their car seats during an area flood, Ms. Takeisha helped them replace the car seats. Kiana also needed a network of people who could watch the baby while she was at school, so Ms. Takeisha worked with the student to build a system of support, such as her mom and other family members.

Once the senior was able to attend more classes, her grades climbed, and now they are “phenomenal,” Ms. Takeisha says. The senior currently balances her schoolwork with three different part-time jobs, as well as participating on the dance team and even running for homecoming court, which she won during basketball season! 

Now that Kiana is thriving, she and Ms. Takeisha only check in about once or week or so, but Kiana knows that the program manager’s door is always open. Kiana doesn’t miss school nearly as often, but when she does, Ms. Takeisha calls her to check in and make sure that everything is okay.

The senior’s hard work has paid off: She was recently accepted to University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where she plans to try out for the dance team. Kiana and Ms. Takeisha are now working on scholarship applications to help cover the cost of attending UTC next year. Ms. Takeisha is incredibly proud of how hard Kiana has worked and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. “She’s a role model for my other teen moms,” Takeisha said.