“I was always this person; I was just in a bad environment. I grew up in Mobile and thought I was going to be a hairdresser. I was a good student through middle school, but i got pregnant when I was 15. I was going to a new school, and it was a different scene. Everybody wanted boyfriends. I wasn’t used to that. I met a guy and tried to please him. I came out of it with a baby, and my family kicked me out. They moved to Houston. I moved in with my boyfriend and his mom.

I got pregnant two more times and had three kids by the time I graduated from high school. I worked at McDonald’s, Sonic, Arby’s—all the fast food places during high school. I walked to school but was always late because I had to wait for daycare to drop off my son. It was so much. People were talking about me, telling me to drop out. One teacher even told me to stop coming to school and take care of my babies. But I didn’t care. I was determined to walk across that stage and prove everyone wrong. I made mistakes, but I’m not just another statistic.  It felt good to walk across that stage on graduation day. 

I had my fourth baby at 21. I finally kicked my kids’ father out because he wasn’t doing anything. It felt like I was just raising another child. I was pregnant again and on my own. For six years, I worked jobs that didn’t pay much. The better ones required certifications and degrees, and I wanted something better to support my family.

I always wanted to go to college, but didn’t think I could until Bishop State changed my life. I won scholarships, and people helped me with bills and daycare. The school became my family, my support. I dropped the kids off early and went to school two hours before class to study. Going to school felt like a break. 

I graduated from Bishop in May. Three years ago, I never thought I would be where I am today.  Now people see I’m not just that girl who was having babies. When my old high school instructors see me, they give me hugs and say how proud they are. One of my counselors told me, ‘I knew you could do it.’ That meant everything.

I’m starting at the University of South Alabama in the fall, studying elementary education. I want to teach K through 3rd grade and be a reading teacher to help shape young kids. My son struggled with reading, and they just kept passing him along. Helping him read gave me the drive to help other kids. Now, my kids can’t watch TV until after they read.

My kids are 11, 9, 7, 6, and 4. I’m becoming a better mother, but it’s hard without much support. I’ve learned not to settle. I’m 26 and have a long way to go, but I want to be successful so bad that it keeps me up at night. Am I doing the right thing? How do I hold onto the bigger picture and keep going? It gets overwhelming. I even left social media to stay focused. 

After I broke up with the kids’ father, I knew I needed a change. I was going down the wrong path. I knew what I didn’t want to be like, and I didn’t want to stay around that lifestyle. A positive environment and learning new behaviors is bringing out who I’m supposed to be. I want my kids growing up in a better environment than I had. 

My motto right now is just keep going. I relax by going to a store and walking up and down the aisles. I don’t buy anything—it just clears my mind. I read self-help and psychology books. Control Your Mind and Master Your Feelings was a good one.

I want more, and I’m not giving up. I hope I can show other women with multiple kids that they can do this, too.”

Trenice