When my friends and family found out that I was pregnant at the age of 18, the response was overwhelmingly negative. I had a lot of "You're never going to get through college with a baby. You might as well drop out now and save your money," and "Why don't you just get an abortion to make it easier on yourself?" Nevertheless, I gave birth via cesarean section on January 4th, 2015 at 7:14 pm to my beautiful daughter Jocelyn Marie. And yes, she's the little pudge-ball in the cover photo.

At the time, I was in a steady relationship and things seemed to be going perfectly in my life. I did my entire first semester of college while pregnant and even made the President's List. After my cesarean, I had to take time off to heal. Being cut in half to get out the tiny human in your tummy is pretty painful. I knew that I would be going back to school because I had the determination to finish my education and prove all my doubters wrong.

When I returned the next fall, my relationship had fallen apart, I was going to have to live away from my daughter, and my finances were non-existent. I fell into one of the worst depressions I've ever experienced in my life. I took 2 weeks off at the end of the 2016 Fall semester and thought that I was going to be quitting school to be a better mom.

During the 6 weeks of winter break, I took a lot of time to consider my decision. I realized that quitting school wouldn't make me a better mom; it would make me a worse one. I would be setting an example for my daughter that quitting when the goings get rough would be the best decision. I didn't want her to see that. So, I saddled up my pony and got back into school. It was one of my best semesters to date.

Being a single mom in college is hard, but it's not a bad thing. In fact, it's one of the best parts about my life. It has taught me so many lessons. It has taught me responsibility. It has taught me time management. It has taught me how to love better and be a better friend. It has taught me how to manage my stress. And it has taught me that it's okay to be different from the majority of the people on campus.

I'm okay with being a young parent. I'm okay with being single in college. And I'm okay with the fact that I want to spend time with my daughter an hour away rather than going out and partying every single night.

Being a single mom in college is awesome. Now I'm not saying go out there and get yourself knocked up right away. Wait for it. Make sure you're in a place in your life where you can handle it. But for me, having a baby made me a better friend, a better student, a better daughter, a better companion, and an all around better person.