Abigail

My name is Abigail Calderon. I am 19 years old, and I am a young mother to my beautiful one-year-old daughter, Ella. My life has never followed an easy or predictable path. It has been filled with change, challenge, and moments that forced me to grow up faster than most. But through everything, I have always held one thing in my heart - the belief that my life can be better and that I can build something meaningful for my daughter. My parents immigrated to Canada from Ecuador in search of a better life. For a short time, things felt stable and happy. But when I was four years old, my life shifted. My mother took my siblings and I back to Ecuador, and suddenly I was in a country that was unfamiliar to me, even though it was part of my heritage. I spoke a little bit of English, but I could not read or write. Now, I had to learn Spanish while trying to keep up in school.

I remember adapting because I had no other choice. Children are resilient like that. But there were quiet moments that stayed with me. I knew I had a father, and I remembered pieces of him, but I did not have him there. At school events, when other children danced with their dads or played games with their parents, I would wait on the sidelines. My mother worked tirelessly to provide for us, often carrying the weight of everything on her own. I learned early what sacrifice looked like. After six years, we returned to Canada. You would think coming “home” would feel easier, but it didn’t. I felt out of place again. I was ten years old and could not properly read or write in English. I struggled to pronounce simple words, and I was placed in ESL and later diagnosed with a learning disability. School felt overwhelming, but I refused to let that define me.

By high school, something in me shifted. I started to see the results of my hard work. My grades improved, and for the first time, I felt proud of myself academically. At the same time, life at home remained unstable. There were constant arguments, financial struggles, and I often felt caught in the middle of everything. My relationship with my brother was also difficult, as he struggled with behavioural issues that sometimes became aggressive towards me. There were always fights, even over the smallest things.

At 14, I got my first job. I worked long shifts not just for myself, but to help ease the financial burden on my family. That experience taught me responsibility, independence, and the value of hard work. It also showed me that no matter how tired I was, I could keep going. Then, at 17, my life changed in a way I could have never prepared for. I found out I was pregnant. In that moment, everything felt uncertain. Everything I thought I knew about my future faded, leaving me standing in a quiet moment, unsure of what would come next. I had already planned my courses and path toward university, building a future I thought I understood.

But in my heart, I knew one thing clearly. This life growing inside me mattered. I was raised with strong faith and values, and I believed that my child deserved love, protection, and a chance at a good life. Instead of giving up on my future, I decided to fight even harder for it. When I found out I was pregnant, I began attending a school for young mothers called York Academy at the Rose of Sharon. It became more than just a school to me. It became a support system. They helped me immensely, not only in continuing my education, but in preparing for motherhood. For the first time in a long time, I felt understood, supported, and not alone. I showed up every day, determined to keep moving forward for myself and for my baby, even though pregnancy was taking its toll on my body.

When my daughter was born, everything changed again, but in the most meaningful way. She gave my life a new purpose. The late nights, the exhaustion, the moments where I questioned myself, they were all real. But so was the love. The kind of love that makes you push through anything, even when you don’t think you have anything left to give.

Today, I live with my partner and his family, who have supported us by giving us a safe place to stay as we build our future. I continue to work toward something better, not just for me, but for my daughter. I have been accepted into Seneca College's Child and Youth Care program. This opportunity means everything to me. My goal is to use my experiences to help other young people who are struggling, especially those who feel lost, unheard, or unsupported. I want to be someone who understands them.

My journey has not been easy. It has been filled with obstacles, setbacks, and moments of doubt. But it has also been shaped by growth, resilience, and determination. Becoming a mother at a young age did not end my dreams, it gave them a deeper purpose. In many ways, my story shows that even in the most challenging circumstances, something strong and beautiful can still grow. And sometimes, the only direction left to go is up.

Abigail Calderon