This is a powerful memoir about stereotypes, family, and what it takes to live beyond the expectations others have of you. Gaby Rodriguez's mother and all her older siblings became parents as teenagers, and everyone expected that Gaby would follow in her family's footsteps. After all, she came from a small city in Washington where poverty is rife and where one in five high school students drop out, with pregnancy a leading cause. However Gaby, an excellent student, dreamed of going to college and breaking the familiar pattern of teen pregnancy and endemic poverty.
When required to complete a senior project for high school, Gaby came up with the idea of faking a pregnancy to find out how teen mothers are treated and how these stereotypes towards teen mothers influence their future. While hiding the truth from everyone but her mother, boyfriend, and a few key conspirators, Gaby came to understand how the demoralizing effects of others' attitudes can trap a teen and her family in this hopeless cycle. Most importantly, Gaby also learned how kindness and encouragement can help teen moms overcome the odds and forge successful lives for themselves and their children, and help prevent future teen pregnancy.
A national sensation that also spawned a TV movie, The Pregnancy Project is essential reading for anyone struggling to overcome what may seem like insurmountable odds.
When required to complete a senior project for high school, Gaby came up with the idea of faking a pregnancy to find out how teen mothers are treated and how these stereotypes towards teen mothers influence their future. While hiding the truth from everyone but her mother, boyfriend, and a few key conspirators, Gaby came to understand how the demoralizing effects of others' attitudes can trap a teen and her family in this hopeless cycle. Most importantly, Gaby also learned how kindness and encouragement can help teen moms overcome the odds and forge successful lives for themselves and their children, and help prevent future teen pregnancy.
A national sensation that also spawned a TV movie, The Pregnancy Project is essential reading for anyone struggling to overcome what may seem like insurmountable odds.