Jennifer Hernandez, Ed.D., professor, program coordinator of Human Services, and chair of social and behavioral sciences at CT State Community College Middlesex, has authored a book on teen mothering.
Released in August 2024, Dr. Hernandez’s book Courageous Choices: Stories of Resiliency in Teen Mothering, is, according to Amazon, “an honest portrayal of the life of teenage moms. Without judgment, Hernandez shares her own story, as well as that of other teen moms who were able to work their way through the trauma, fear and judgment from others, to achieve happy and successful lives. A must-read for teen mothers as well as professionals, educators and family members.”
“The book is motivational about how to deal with being a teen mother, and it can be used as a sounding board for practitioners,” said Dr. Hernandez. “I’ve always specialized in working with teens. As a teen mother myself, I’ll see someone laughing and playing. I wished I could do that, but I always had to be a grown-up. That’s why working is so comfortable to me. We don’t play—we’re surviving. It’s a very courageous choice to be a parent under the age of 16.”
The women who shared their stories in the book did so with remarkable courage, revealing how their experiences shaped their journey from teen moms to successful adults. Their resilience and academic achievements despite numerous challenges serve as an inspiring example for those facing difficulties and for professionals in social services, medical and public health fields. Readers can gain valuable insights into the struggles and triumphs of teen mothers through their stories, Hernandez said.
“I am so excited, humbled and ready for this. It is a deep and personal share of some of my story and other teen mothers’ journeys to success, through tremendous starts. It’s a let’s-get-busy book for teen mothers to let them know that they can be who they are intended to be,” she added.
Dr. Hernandez joined the CT State Middlesex faculty full-time in 2017 and, in addition to serving as the Human Services program coordinator, she teaches Introduction to Human Services and College and Career Success courses.
She is also a program manager at the Family Enrichment Center, which she designed and created in 1999 at The Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, part of Hartford HealthCare. The center provides child development services, including home-based parent education, group work, support for teen parents, and community outreach to prevent high-risk behaviors.
Dr. Hernandez graduated from Middlesex with an Associate of Science in 1995. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services/Counseling from Lesley College (Cambridge, Mass.), a Master of Science in Human Services/Organizational Leadership from Springfield College, and a Doctor of Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford.
—September 3, 2024
