Meet Amisha, a senior at Longfellow Alternative High School
Amisha is an active student, a busy mom of two beautiful little girls, and a regular at our Career & College Center at Longfellow Alternative High School, a school that supports pregnant and parenting teens. Longfellow offers a personalized education model, an Early Learning Center that provides childcare and preschool, and other services that help students stay in school and create post-graduation plans they’re invested in and excited about.
Amisha works one-on-one with our CCC Coordinator Tiffany Enriquez and also participates in our weekly CCC group, where students explore career and college options, complete college and financial aid applications, apply and prepare for Step Up internships and connect with other opportunities.
“My favorite part of coming here is always learning something new I didn’t know before," says Amisha. "Last week we talked about college and took a test to show us the kind of careers we might be interested in. Then we looked at what we want to study, what colleges have these majors and how to budget for college. Some students aren’t quite ready for college yet, so we also learned about jobs where you can get good pay with your high school diploma.”
With June graduation on the horizon, Amisha is planning to attend Minneapolis College or the University of Minnesota to study nursing or criminal justice this fall. First she’ll spend the summer doing her second Step Up internship in a customized program created specifically for interns who are parents.
“Finding childcare and other support can be tremendous barriers for teen parents who want to attend college or pursue a career,” says Tiffany. “Many are straddling two worlds. They’re teenagers who are learning how to navigate the adult world, keep up their studies and take care of their kids. Amisha is a rock star, and I can’t wait to see where she goes!”