“Mami!” interrupts Javier in his slurred toddler’s Spanish, pointing at his next object of intrigue in a bid for his mother’s attention. “Car!” he cries.
“Sí,” she says in Spanish, looking up to check on her son. “It’s a car,” she confirms, flashing a smile laced with weary enthusiasm before turning back to her studies.
The scene is a typical one in the life of Arellano, a senior at Stanford who has balanced raising her son and attending an elite university with the help of a group called Shine Together in Milpitas.
Every year, Shine Together helps up to 200 mothers between 13 and 25 navigate parenthood, life and education by connecting them to the resources they need to succeed.
“Any mom that comes through the door, we meet them where they are,” said Sara Reyes, executive director of Shine Together — or Shine, for short. “Our ultimate goal is for our moms to feel empowered, and to find their voice to advocate for themselves and their future.”
The agency is seeking donations from Wish Book to help support at least 60 young mothers in San Jose and their children, as well as help pay for the staff and facilities that serve them.
Arellano learned she was pregnant the very same day that she had to confirm her enrollment at Stanford. As the clinician at Planned Parenthood walked her through various options, she decided she wanted to keep the baby. Then, sitting in the car outside the clinic, she sent in the paperwork to enroll.
When she got home, reality hit as she faced down a stark statistic — only 2% of teen mothers finish college by age 30.
“I was like, ‘I can’t let that stop me,’” recalled Arellano, a child of immigrant farmworkers. “My parents crossed the desert, and if they could go through that experience … I knew that I was capable of doing it.”
Despite her drive, she was confronted with obstacles once she got to Stanford. Her pregnancy often left her tired and gave her brain fog, and even when she asked, her instructors didn’t always accommodate her needs. Though she tried not to feel shame, she felt the stigma of being a pregnant student.
When she gave birth to Javier, her responsibilities only grew, and so did her financial burden. Though financial aid paid for her housing, childcare cost her and her family $2,600 every month, a heavy price for a family of farmworkers.
She often felt alone. At the time, Javier’s father was not around, and Karen lacked consistent help caring for Javier or opportunities to socialize that were child friendly. Slowly, she began doubting whether she would even graduate.
Then, a caseworker referred her to Shine Together. She got on the phone with an advocate who told her they could provide her with diapers and clothes, and connect her with the resources she needed.
“In that moment … I knew I was gonna make it. I was like, ‘This is what I was looking for. This is what I needed,’” recalled Arellano.
Shine helped her find free childcare, and provided clothes, diapers and wipes for Javier. They also provided her with hair care products, something she had neglected so she could save money for essentials.
Shine pairs each mother with an advocate who helps connect them to resources and navigate childcare, housing, legal systems, education and financial aid.
Those resources are tailored to every mother. Esmerelda Torres was living out of her car with her daughter and trying to earn her high school diploma when she found out about Shine Together. Shine helped her find a permanent shelter and get her basic needs met so she could focus back on earning her GED. “I didn’t really have family who would be there for me, but (Shine) cares about what happens,” said Torres. “Good or bad, they’re always there.”
The advocates work one-on-one with each mother, co-creating a game plan to help them reach their goals – whether that’s earning a GED, completing a professional certificate, or finishing college. They also provide the mothers help with financial literacy, health and wellness and everything from parenting techniques to emotional support.
“We’re their biggest cheerleader,” said Isabel Chavarria, the current program manager for Shine and Arellano’s former advocate. “We really empower them to be the best (moms) they can be.”
Shine also hosts events to connect the mothers with each other, offering opportunities to learn life skills together and build community.
“I’ve tried making friends here (at Stanford). It’s been so hard … to build those friendships,” said Arellano. “It’s really important for me to interact with some of the moms … because I knew that I had other people who had similar experiences to me.”
Many of the advocates have been there themselves. Shine’s team is made up entirely of women, many of whom come from the same neighborhoods as the people they serve. Some were young mothers or teen mothers themselves.
“We all needed support along the way … we were once in that situation as individuals,” Reyes said.
Many of the mothers at Shine come from backgrounds of poverty, food insecurity and other traumas. A third face housing instability and 44% were a child of young parents themselves.
Despite the circumstances, the approach is working for the moms. While only around half of teen mothers nationwide graduate from high school, nearly 9 in 10 of the young mothers with Shine Together are on track for a high school diploma, and over 60% are pursuing further education like college or a certification program.
The work does more than set up the mothers for success — it helps the children, as well. Research shows that when parents gain education, their children do better, even decades later.
“(We’re) breaking those generational cycles through education and empowerment,” Chavarria said. “We’re serving two generations at the same time.”
Now, Javier is two and a half, while Arellano is set to graduate next year with her Bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies, and was selected for the honors program. She’s doing research for an honors thesis on young mothers pursuing higher education and hopes to present her research to help break the stigma around the topic. This year, Javier’s father moved in to support Javier and Arellano.
[Arellano isn’t sure what she wants to do when she graduates, but she knows she wants to play a role in making the world more equitable, focusing on early childhood education. She knows that Shine will help make her transition from student to professional smoother.
“Shine is part of that movement of equity and justice. They’re able to make that difference,” said Arellano. “That’s what Shine is meant to do — give you stability to achieve your goals … That’s what it’s done for me.”
THE WISH BOOK SERIES
Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
WISH
Donations will help Shine Together support at least 60 young mothers in San Jose and their children as well as help pay for the staff and facilities that serve them. Goal: $25,000
HOW TO GIVE
Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com/donate or mail in this form.
ONLINE EXTRA
Read other Wish Book stories, view photos and video at wishbook.mercurynews.com.