Teenage Father Fighting to Succeed

“I never thought it could happen to me… my life has changed dramatically. It’s not about me anymore.”

Rogelio Carrillo, a senior at South East High School, is one out of many teenagers whose life has changed permanently. On September 14, 2008 his son, Nathan R. Carrillo, was born. “Ever since Nathan was born, my life has changed dramatically. Even though I enjoy being a kid, I have been forced to grow up quickly. My future isn’t only about me anymore; it’s about him now. Anything I do can easily affect him,” said Carrillo.

Carrillo was only 16 when he found out he was going to be a young father. He did not have a job, good grades, or even an idea about what his next step should be. “I never thought it could happen to me. I just really didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t know what it was going to be like to be a parent. All I knew was that I had to step up, get a job, and improve my grades. I had no experience, but I knew that I had the support I needed from my family in order to learn how to be a parent,” he said.

According to Carrillo, it’s not easy juggling school in one hand and a baby in the other. “Sometimes I have to miss school because I have to be there for him when he’s sick or has his monthly check-ups. Nathan comes before everything and sometimes that affects my schoolwork because if there is anything that he needs me for, I am there in a heartbeat. However, I could be doing better in my classes. There’s just a lot on my mind – I think about my job, my son, and our future together. My first block, AP Calculus, is one class that I feel is a lot to handle when I’ve got so many other things going on at home and at work.”

Many teenage fathers don’t acknowledge their own child. According to the Teen Health website, 80% of teenage parents are only single mothers. However, Carrillo has been a part of Nathan’s life since the minute he was born. “I personally love being a father,” he said. “I didn’t even try to run away from it because it was something I did. I wanted to be around, and never once did I question it. I faced my mistake and took responsibility for it. I wanted to face the challenge.”

Carrillo was used to having a normal daily life schedule like going to school, taking care of his daily chores, and spending time at the park playing soccer, but all that changed when his son was born. “I have to go to school and then hurry off to either go to work or to watch him. His mother and I switch turns watching him so that both of us get to spend the same amount of time with him. My first and fourth block can really affect my whole schedule. They both take a great amount of commitment. My fourth block, Yearbook, always has deadlines and when those days come up, I have to stay after school for hours which can take time away from Nathan. Then, at the same time, I have a job two days out of the week. All of it adds up and requires a huge amount of my time.”

From Carrillo’s experience, having a baby is very expensive. Although he currently holds a job, his whole paycheck ends up paying for most of Nathan’s expenses like diapers, wipes, clothes, and other basic things. “I haven’t always had this job and the hardest thing to face as a father is the fact that I don’t get to support him completely financially. His mother doesn’t work, and I just started working not too long ago. He’s gotten the greatest amount of support from his grandparents, my parents and his mother’s parents, since the day he was born.”

According to pregnantteenhelp.org, more than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school. However, Carrillo will successfully graduate this year and he already has big plans. Carrillo said, “My son pushed me to succeed in order to give him and myself a better life and future. I’m set on going to college and am planning to become a pediatrician. I’m currently a participant of the Kaiser Permanente Youth Certificate Program to qualify for the full-time paid internship they are offering this summer.”

Carrillo plans on working and studying to keep his dreams alive. Although his journey as a teen parent is no walk in the park, he has proven that it is possible to achieve his goals and be a dedicated father all at the same time. “I feel amazed. Nathan is only a year and a half, and he can already talk like a 3 year old. I’m lucky to watch him grow every day. This experience has been the toughest and will always be, but it is nevertheless an amazing experience. I am proud of myself that I can come out of this and still accomplish anything I want. I don’t see my situation as a road block because it is in my heart that I won’t stop until I reach my goals,” he expressed.

Although Carrillo enjoys being a father, he wishes that SEHS students will wait and consider the consequences of being sexually active at such a young age. “Just because you may think you’re ready, just know that it does not mean it is the perfect time. Always be careful because it is definitely not easy being a young parent. Not only do you go through a lot physically, emotionally, and mentally, but so do your parents and everyone else close to you. Everything you do affects others around you. Always remember the consequences.”