I would choose to relive the third day that I started as the first Case Manager for Strong Tomorrows at Hale High School back in Fall 2014. I was receiving a tour of the school building by the principal and our program director when I noticed a student walking towards me from the cafeteria. Eventually we recognized each other from when the student was in elementary school and I was her mentor in an after school program. We were happy and excited to reconnect, I explained to her that I was working at her high school now to pilot a school-based support program for young parents and invited her to visit me. She said she knew of a few friends to refer for program services who were young parents. Suddenly, my tiny office had a steady flow of referred young parents who were identified by my former student and the Strong Tomorrows program was able to be developed sooner than expected with immediate buy-in from young parents based on a previous trusted working relationship with one student. She continued to support the build-up of our program from her freshmen to senior year and recently graduated from Tulsa Community College. If it wasn’t for her, then I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to help develop Strong Tomorrows into what it is today and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get to know so many brilliant, courageous, kind, strong young parents throughout their life journeys. My Nathan Hale Rangers will always have a special place in my heart!
