Hello, my name is Angelina, and this is my story.
I had a good life growing up. I was adopted when I was 2 years old along with my two older brothers, and was raised by loving parents who brought us up well in the Catholic faith. Even though our family life was strong, and my mom and dad loved me well, I still struggled greatly with my self-worth and who I was. I depended on men’s approval to give me the self-worth I thought I deserved. I went through my first year of college in a bad relationship that left me used and unclear of what love truly is. I then felt a calling to become a missionary with NET Ministries and had a euphoric experience during that year where I was able to refocus my relationship with Christ and His calling for me as His daughter. I got off NET nine months later and unfortunately fell back into desperately finding my worth in men and their approval. During this time, I was trying hard to focus on getting into a nursing program, which was something I knew deep in my heart God was calling me to. I applied at least 4 times to get into a program and each time was declined. I knew I needed to work hard to pursue this dream, so I set my mind to it and worked on getting my GPA up by through taking community college courses. Around this time, I had started a new relationship that was “decent” for the most part but, like all my others, ended badly. I ended this relationship at the beginning of 2022 and decided this was it! I said to myself “God make me a new woman and help me to know my worth and be who you call me to be!” I praised God for getting me out of that situation and continued to focus on getting into a nursing program.
Then, I found out about two months later that I was pregnant and was already 7 weeks along. I told my ex-boyfriend and he immediately pushed the abortion pill on me. I refused because I knew the life inside me was sacred. I remember the day I saw the positive pregnancy test, I went straight to a pregnancy crisis center and got to see my little baby on the monitor. I remember seeing his heartbeat and I just felt so much joy in my own heart. I contemplated adoption. My heart was broken knowing this little baby didn’t have a father that loved and cherished him and how I knew my baby deserved better. I told my parents at 14 weeks and they were shocked but supportive. I decided then (as an adopted child myself) that even though my baby didn’t have a father… he had me, his mother, and a baby needs his mother. I cherished him. I knew that I needed a way to support my baby. I worked incredibly hard on my schooling and was able finish my Associates of Science by the first week of October. During that time I got as much information as possible on my options and met with many nursing advisors from the community colleges around where I lived to see what my best chance were to get into any of their programs.
One day while driving home from work, I was listening to a Catholic radio station and heard by chance about a Catholic college in Bismarck, North Dakota that was starting a new program starting in the fall for single mothers to complete their degrees while caring for their babies. It offered free room and board for mother and child, among other things, and I just was elated. I applied and got accepted around the beginning of November. I was hoping my son would come early so I could have more time to heal and rest before the spring semester — but he came over a week late! On December 9th, Augustine was born and three weeks later we were flying up to Bismarck to start out with a new life. People always ask if I was afraid, but to be honest, I was not even close to having fear. I felt so much confidence and faith in God that I could do this. A three week old baby, single mother, flying cross country, new state, new school, sleeping about 4 hours a night (haha! No joke…) and I’ve never felt more at peace.
All that to say, it has been one of the hardest things I have ever been through — as one can imagine. I won’t sugar coat it. There were many sleepless nights where I would be in tears, exhausted, and my baby would refuse to sleep. I would be thinking about the 8am class I would have to be at in 3 hours; I would cry out “What am I even doing?!…there is absolutely no way I can do this on my own God…” In those moments of despair, I would just replay in my mind The Passion of Christ over and over again. I would think of the tremendous suffering Christ went through and if He could do that then I can do this with His help. I can do hard things. I can suffer and find joy in it. And so I did. I took it day by day. And every day I let God carry me, and I still do.
Now I can say I successfully made it halfway through my nursing program and I will have my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in only a year and a half! I have no greater joy than being a mother to my sweet son Augustine (who just turned 1 year!), and I never have once regretted my decision in keeping him. I thank God everyday for the abundant gifts He has given me through my “Yes!”
Born Dignified 