May 4th, 2020
“She gave me a new sense of purpose, motivation, and determination. I was now living and working hard for the most precious little girl, and not just myself.”
Renee, on becoming a mom to rylie
Renee, a 2006 graduate from The University of Georgia, was gifted with a new outlook on the way that she works, who she works for, and more, after finding out that she was pregnant with her daughter during her sophomore year in college at UGA. “She gave me a new sense of purpose, motivation, and determination. I was now living and working hard for the most precious little girl, and not just myself.”
Rylie was born only a few weeks into Renee’s junior year. People told her that her life would be so different and challenging in the years to come, but Rylie ended up being one of her biggest blessings. She is now sixteen years old and a big sister to Renee’s two other children, Holt and Ford.
Renee continued, “Rylie is definitely the coolest teenager I know; she is fearless, independent, and everything I wasn’t growing up. So she has taught me some valuable life lessons, and continues to do so.”
Renee is confident in the fact that the Lord had a plan and knew what He was doing when she found out that she was pregnant with Rylie, and although it was hard, she persevered through with inspiring courage and strength. She is passionate about believing that challenges are what sharpen us and give us the tools to thrive in our lives.
“She is certainly here for a reason, and God knew what He was doing when He blessed me with my sweet girl.” said Renee.
The hope that Renee held is a clear reminder of John 13:7, in which Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Her story gives us eyes to see that the Lord is moving in situations that may seem scary and difficult.
When her daughter was almost 2, Renee and Cara, our founder, met at their apartment complex near campus and became fast friends after both realized that they had littles who were only 3 months apart. Renee shares, “I didn’t know anybody else like me. I felt very alone before. Where I came from, people don’t have children this young. We bonded and it made me feel…normal.”
In addition to doing fun things on campus together with their kids, Renee inspired Cara to get involved in campus life & finish strong. What began as a friendship ignited by shared experiences as single moms in college, has continued even across different cities and seasons of life.
During her last semester of college, after having Rylie, Renee got her Real Estate License online and has a thriving career that allows her to help others during some of life’s most important moms while providing for her family and having a flexible schedule to put them first. She also sets aside funds each month to contribute to provide hope and help to young women who find themselves pregnant in college so that they know they’re not alone.
Renee’s story is one that we are inspired by, and one we want other mothers in college to see and feel like they can do it, too. You don’t have to give up your dreams even if you have an unplanned pregnancy–in addition to the blessing of a baby–you might just discover a renewed purpose and inspire another friend along the way. Her story is also an encouragement to professionals who want to commit to providing hope & help to make other young moms have the resources and relationships they need to succeed.
If you are interested in being a part of the village by sharing your story and/or committing to monthly partnership, please join at MomentumNetwork.org/join.
