Perseverance pays off for student mom

From the beginning, Leesa Dougherty was determined to graduate on time. But the challenges faced by one local teen wife and mother caused some doubt along the way. Despite her misgivings, Dougherty defied the odds and graduated on Saturday with the Columbia Falls High School Class of 2012.

“Everyone asks how I do it,” Dougherty said. “I keep a smile on my face and do what I know is best for me and my kid.”

The struggles began when she found out she was pregnant with her son, Karson. At 16 years old, the high school sophomore knew that raising a child and attending high school would be tough. She was scared, and she wondered what motherhood would mean for her education and her future.

“The biggest challenge was, well, everything,” Dougherty said.

Karson was born two months early and weighed just 3 pounds, 8 ounces. After three months in the hospital, he was big enough and strong enough to come home, but the smiling, red-haired 16-month-old continues to fight lung problems and a hernia, both associated with early birth.

“He’s a strong, tough little man,” Dougherty said.

Dougherty differs from many other teen mothers in that she is has also been married for more than a year. She credits her husband, Nathan Dougherty, with helping her through the most difficult times, both in class and in her their new role as young parents.

“He’s been here through every bump, bruise and corner, the whole nine yards,” Dougherty said.

Nathan, 19, helped her with her homework, Leesa said, and “made sure she did what needed to be done” in order to graduate. He’s currently serving in the Army and is stationed in North Carolina. He’s scheduled to deploy in August, but he doesn’t yet know where.

Even with Nathan’s help and encouragement, schoolwork became challenging once Karson arrived. Leesa’s priorities shifted, and time once spent on homework was now spent caring for the new baby. Leesa prides herself on the fact that she never dropped a single class, no matter how difficult home life had become.

This year, Leesa took part in a parenting class and a weekly after-school program for teen moms, earning credit toward graduation in both. She was originally slated to take a sewing class, but the parenting class was more applicable to her current circumstances.

“I’ve learned quite a lot” about raising a child, Leesa said. “I love kids. Absolutely love them.”

Leesa’s friends, family and teachers all helped provide the support and positive influence she needed, she said. They helped her stay on track toward her goal of graduating and kept her smiling through it all.

“If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have made it,” Leesa said. “But I did it. I kicked it into gear.”

The new graduate loves helping people, and plans to pursue a career as a nurse assistant or home care aid. Leesa said it might lead her to a career in pediatrics or women’s care, thanks to the understanding that her own life experiences have given her.

Although it isn’t necessarily a path she would recommend to other young women, Leesa said it’s absolutely possible to succeed both as a student and a mother. The key, she said, is perseverance and a positive attitude.

“Never, ever, give up on your hopes and dreams,” Dougherty said. “You can still do it.”