PSU Student Body President Credits Merlo Station for Her Success

By Lee Lewis-Husk

Kristin Wallace was in the seventh grade, just 13 years old, when she got pregnant. Not only did she face the daunting task of motherhood at such a tender age, but a disapproving society as well. “When the world was shutting me out, Merlo Station was opening up.” She adds, “The crazy thing was, I wasn’t old enough to be in high school. They let me in and said that if I didn’t do well, I would have to repeat ninth grade.” The teen mom thrived at the alternative school and finished in four years.

Wallace is now 20, the mother of a healthy six-year-old daughter and a junior at Portland State University. She is president of PSU’s student body, the largest and most diverse in the state. She credits her family and Merlo Station with giving her the unqualified support she needed to succeed in school and in life. She’s especially appreciative of the Running Start program at Merlo. “It allowed me to dip my feet into college while still in high school. It was fun experiencing college as a high school senior.” Wallace had the unique experience of entering PSU while her mother was still there. “She was the first person in her family to graduate from college.”

Wallace also appreciates the health care she received at Merlo. While she was pregnant, Wallace had a weekly appointment with a midwife from OHSU. “She had an open mind and didn’t treat me any differently because of my age. She validated my dreams and wishes in terms of the childbirth I wanted to have. She valued my experience, even though it came much earlier in life than anticipated.

Wallace says the whole environment at Merlo allows young women to persevere. “It’s wonderful to wake up knowing that you’re going to this place where people believe in you.”

To read about Merlo Station High School Health Center, click here.

To read more about nurses in Oregon's schools, click here.

Last updated January 19, 2005 by OHSU School of Nursing Web Managers.
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