By Katherine Vernier & Madelyn Groulx
Focus
Midland HS
1st Place
Division 2, News Writing
Human Interest Feature
It is 3 a.m. on a school night and senior Paige Davis is being woken up from cries across the room. Although she knows that she is supposed to let her 11-month-old son, Miccah Morris, soothe himself, she cannot help but get up and comfort him.
This is one of the daily challenges that Davis faces when raising her son. After bringing Miccah back to her bed, she comforts him until he falls asleep. Davis then tries to get as much rest as she can before her alarm goes off in just a few hours.
“Being away from him is hard,” Davis said. “My mom tells me when I’m at school he always walks around saying ‘Mama, Mama’.”
Davis said one of her proudest moments as a mother was hearing him say “Mama”. She also enjoyed watching him learn how to walk. In order to cope with being away from Miccah, Davis weighs out the good from the bad.
“Miccah’s not going to remember the missed time when he’s older,” Davis said. “It’s better that I’m going to school now so I can support him when he’s older.”
Paige’s mother, Lisa, helps watch over Miccah during the school day.
“Sometimes it can be difficult trying to help Paige because I am so used to being the mom and taking care of everything,” Lisa said. “Paige rarely asks for help because she is such a great mommy and loves being a mommy, so
it is more of a challenge for me to just step back and let her do it herself.”
Paige also goes to the Pregnancy Resource Center, Young Lives for Young Moms, and the Midland Women, Infants, and Children Clinic (WIC) for support. At Young Lives for Young Moms, Paige is able to meet other young moms and learn about child safety. WIC also provides Paige with nutritional advice and baby formula.
After working hard to stay on track her junior year, Paige is planning on graduating in the spring with the rest of her class. In the future, she hopes to transfer to Grand Valley State University to study primary education. Her goal is to become a kindergarten teacher. Currently, she teaches swim lessons to children and lifeguards at the Greater Midland Community Center.
Junior Alicia Morales and former Midland High student and father, Michael Ripke, are facing similar challenges of teen parenthood. Their daughter, Faith Ripke, was born in July of 2015. After a year of online school, Morales is back at Midland High in pursuit of graduating. Ripke received his GED and is now attending Delta College and working full-time with plans to become a corrections officer.
“With both of us it’s easier than it would be with just one of us,” Ripke said. “Having our own space helps too.”
Ripke and Morales moved into their own apartment at the beginning of July, just before Faith was born. The couple has found that living on their own presents unique challenges.
“Sometimes we’ll be carrying so much stuff that we’ll lock the keys in the house on accident,” he said. “We just miscommunicate with the diaper bag and all that stuff.”
Although they are on their own, Morales’ mother still helps take care of Faith while Ripke and Morales are at school or work. Ripke currently works a 6-2 shift so they can get home at the same time. Then, together they can experience the same moments with their daughter, such as taking her for car rides and walks around the mall.
As young parents, Paige, Morales, and Ripke are facing different obstacles than most of their peers. They balance school and their jobs, while experiencing the difficulties that come with raising their babies. Through it all, they are able to cherish the beautiful moments of their children’s lives.
“She starts smiling and I just like it when she smiles,” Ripke said, with his daughter Faith is his arms, grinning back at her dad.