Children having children. It’s a phrase the media loosely bandies about, but we rarely get to actually meet the people behind the stories. Elizabeth Vasquez is just such a person – a 14-year old who gave birth a month after her birthday.
Flash forward to April 2006 - a VERY fluid month for Elizabeth. "I had been with the father of my children for years, and we broke up at the beginning of April." says the 27 year-old mother of four. With no job and no place to live, she was understandably a little bit nervous.
"I saw my life falling apart. I had to take care of my kids." she says. With her omnipresent smile firmly in place, Elizabeth resolved to solve her problems. Within weeks she had a home at the newly built Beyer Courtyards apartments and a job as a medical assistant at Sharp lined up. "It’s funny" she says now "I was on the phone with my prospective boss…and the apartments called me to say I was accepted."
"That was a good day" she says simply.
Developed by Wakeland Housing and built by Sun Country Builders, Beyer Courtyards has been lauded by San Diego City Councilman Ben Hueso as being among the finest apartment housing in San Diego. This includes market rate apartments. Elizabeth’s interest in moving there was understandable. "There were other similar complexes nearby, but this was the place I wanted to be." she recalls.
"I grew up in San Ysidro - it’s always been my home. It was important to me to stay here and prove that this town isn’t such a bad place." As for her home, she reports "I love it here. I especially liked that I was getting a new start in life and, with a new complex, everyone else living here was also starting new. We moved in together, we live together, we’ve built a community together."
Elizabeth is equally positive about her future plans. "I’m off to Southwestern College next month to finish up three classes (math, biology, and anatomy). I’ll then go onto the waiting list for the RN program, and after that I expect to transfer to San Diego State."
There’s no moss growing under this lady’s feet!
"I always try to pull the positive out of anything negative." she says of her life’s philosophy "because I know that ANYTHING is possible!" And speaking with Elizabeth, you can’t help but believe just that.
"Hey, if I can do it, anybody can do it. I mean, I was a teenage mom and I’m going to be an RN. I expect to own my own house in a few years. And I know that, no matter what obstacles there are, you can overcome them if you work hard enough. Everything comes in time."
