A memoir on young motherhood, college, and a call for change.
A NPR BOOKS WE LOVE 2021 Selection
“[T]his book is so much more than a memoir . . . . Her prose has the power to undo deep-set cultural biases about poverty and parenthood.”
—New York Times Book Review
An activist calls for better support of young families so they can thrive and reflects on her experiences as a Black mother and college student fighting for opportunities for herself and her child.
Pregnant Girl presents the possibility of a different future for young mothers—one of success and stability—in the midst of the dismal statistics that dominate the national conversation. Along with her own story as a young Black mother, Nicole Lynn Lewis weaves in those of the men and women she’s worked with to share a new perspective on how poverty, classism, and systemic racism impact teen pregnancy and on how effective programs and equitable policies can help teen parents earn college degrees, have increased opportunity, and create a legacy of educational and career achievements in their families.
After Nicole became pregnant during her senior year in high school, she was told that college was no longer a reality—a negative outlook often unfairly presented to teen mothers. Nicole left home and experienced periods of homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Despite these obstacles, she enrolled at the College of William & Mary and brought her 3-month-old daughter along. Through her experiences fighting for resources to put herself through college, she discovered her true calling and founded Generation Hope to provide support for teen parents and their children so they can thrive in college and kindergarten—driving a 2-generation solution to poverty.
Pregnant Girl will inspire young parents faced with similar choices and obstacles that they too can pursue their goals with the right support.
An exploration of parenting, college, and poverty.
A vital call to disrupt systemic forces that impoverish families and to reimagine accessible higher education, empowering parents to thrive in college and at home.
From the former teen mom and award-winning founder of Generation Hope, a nonprofit committed to expanding education access for young parents and all caregivers.
For countless American families, the promise of the "American Dream" rings hollow. They are caught in a cycle of limited opportunity, battling the sociopolitical forces that sustain generational poverty. These are parents and caregivers who yearn for a better life for their children, a reality Nicole Lynn Lewis intimately understands from her own journey as a teen mother.
Student Parent is Lewis’s unflinching yet profoundly hopeful investigation into the systemic obstacles that impede marginalized parents' access to education, career advancement, and true economic mobility. Crucially, this book moves beyond identifying problems to present transformative, actionable solutions that break through access barriers in higher education.
Weaving insights from child and family health experts with vivid personal stories, Lewis outlines pathways for change to support families striving on the fringes. She champions practices like:
subsidizing on-campus childcare
accommodating students facing childcare, transportation, and other challenges
establishing campus food pantries and de-stigmatizing their use
Student Parent isn't just a book about policy; it’s a powerful testament to resilience and an advocate’s guide for dismantling inequality. Lewis has an inspiring vision of an America where education is a right and generational wealth for all is a reality. This book shows us that investing in our student parents is a critical step on the path toward that bright future.
Praise for Nicole’s writing
