Lauren Whitley

2010 Bridge Foundation Scholarship Recipient

As I have completed one big chapter in my life, graduating from High School, I look forward to beginning another chapter in my life, attending college. In the fall of 2010, I will be attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and I plan to major in Middle Grades Education while specializing in both English and History. My journey to becoming a college freshman has been one filled with many “bumps” along the way, but with the help of the Bridge Foundation, paying for college will not be one of them.

I found out during my junior year of high school that I would soon become a mother and at that point my dreams of going to college, much less becoming a teacher, seemed extremely far away. With the support of my friends and most importantly my family, however, I have made it through high school while taking AP classes, balancing a part time job, as well as motherhood, and I look at college not only as being amazing for my future, but also for my daughter’s future. While at UNCC I hope to get involved on campus through various activities, whether it be volunteer work or sporting events, and after college I look forward to becoming a Middle School English or History teacher here in North Carolina. My number one goal after college (besides conquering the role of being a mother) is to begin a support group for teen mothers who become pregnant while in high school. I want to show girls that becoming pregnant is not a reason to give up on your goals just because society says that you will fail, but that becoming pregnant is a greater reason to accomplish your goals.

I am very excited to begin my education at UNC Charlotte and I am honored to represent the Bridge Foundation by being one of their scholarship recipients. This scholarship will help not only me but also my family in regards to paying for my tuition (I have a twin sister who will be attending UNC Chapel Hill in the fall as well) and I hope that I can not only well- represent the Bridge Foundation but also well-represent teenage mothers who face not only creating a good future for themselves but also for their children.