“I was a young temp working as an executive administrative assistant. One day, my boss had me sit in as his proxy at a board meeting–I didn’t understand what that meant. He said, ‘Just go. You’ll figure it out.’ The presentation was about the school-to-prison pipeline that starts with third graders with low reading scores. There were also statistics about kids without moms and dads in their lives or who were raised by grandparents. Check. Check. Check. Those statistics were an ugly truth. And all of those numbers were stacked up against my son. 

I found out I was pregnant two weeks before my seventeenth birthday. It was the second semester of my sophomore year. My life changed in an instant. I stayed in high school and worked at McDonalds. I didn’t know what to do after graduation, but working in fast food wouldn’t cut it. I went into the U.S. Army, signing over full custody of my baby to my parents. I hated doing that, but it felt like my only choice. I come from a long line of humble but strong women. My mother is a second-generation housekeeper; she wanted more for me.

Later, my dad passed away. I got legal custody of my son, but my mom was still raising him. I returned from the Army with enough computer skills to get a job, but I couldn’t get one in Mobile. I was finally hired as a procurement specialist in Atlanta, working up to administrative assistant. A few years later, the company downsized during the recession; I was let go. 

Life was a struggle. I went to work for a staffing agency in Florida, still making more than I could make in Mobile. Sending money home so my son seemed like the best way to impact his life–even if I wasn’t there. But after seeing the numbers in that presentation, it was time to get my child and learn how to be a mom. He was eleven. I realized he was behind in school and had behavior issues. I got him into therapy, and his grades and behavior improved. We moved back to Mobile so he could be happy. 

I still couldn’t make enough to live in Mobile. I’ve never prayed for a man or looked for one to take care of me, but I needed my soulmate. I started praying for my husband–I met Trip six months later. He loves my family and is very supportive of what I do. My son graduated high school and chased his own dreams; he’s in Chicago now. 

I’ve survived a lot of storms. It took me ten years to get my bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration in Human Resource Management. I created a virtual assistant business but wanted to help young parents who struggle like I did. I started Future Leaders Working Mobile to give training for jobs as entry-level administrative professionals. These are good jobs for young parents. 

I started the Amazin Admins Awards Breakfast three years ago to honor amazing administrators who get things done but are rarely acknowledged. The next Amazin Admin Awards Breakfast is on April 24th. The awards breakfast also funds the Future Leaders Working Academy, and the honored admins help mentor our young parents. We have seven women in our first graduating class. We will help them find jobs and keep working with them for a year– teaching them how to save and make the most of their money. I also encourage them to get their college degrees to make more money. No matter how long it takes.

Young parents want to be self-sufficient and do their best for their children with dignity. Not a charity case. I see myself in every one of them.”

Tifffany

Bonus story

“I was going through a hard time with my family before Trip and I got married. Everything was setting me off. I prayed for a sign that this man was for me.  I ordered one wedding dress. I got twenty back. They arrived sporadically. It seemed like anytime we argued, a wedding dress appeared. My first name would be right, and my last name would be wrong, or my last name would be right, and my first name would be wrong. The dresses came from a third party on Amazon. I tried to send them back in the beginning, but each time, the company said it would cost more for return shipping–keep it. I donated some dresses to a charity working with young moms so other girls could use them.

Trip and I didn’t have a wedding ceremony or honeymoon during COVID. I took one of the dresses on our vacation to the Dominican Republic, and we did a photoshoot. It would be fun to take the other dresses on trips and keep doing the photoshoots. These dresses are my sign that this is where I am supposed to be.”