A moment of rest - A few moments of downtime during school gives Tyreesha Smith the opportunity to catch up on sleep. Like many her age, Tyreesha is attending high school. Unlike most she is also caring for a daughter and working full time between two jobs. Meet TeAsia – TeAsia is Tyresha’s 16-month old daughter. She was born when Tyreesha was 15 years old, to a father who no longer acknowledges her as his own, leaving Tyreesha as her sole caretaker. Morning Routine – The day begins at 5:00 a.m. for Tyreesha and TeAsia. Each morning Tyreesha takes the time to do her daughter’s hair, a ritual she seems to enjoy, whether or not her daughter is in the mood to cooperate. Daycare – One of the most challenging parts of Tyreesha’s motherhood is all of the time she doesn’t get to spend with her daughter. Whether TeAsia is in daycare or the care of a relative, she spends the majority of her day without Tyreesha. Tyreesha knows that a diploma will lead to a better future for both of them. Still Young – Even after over a year of motherhood, Tyreesha is still a teenager. She goes to school for half of each weekday, and spends time socializing with other high school teenagers like her. She sneaks her phone out for a text every now and then, and frets about term papers on Martin Luther King Jr. for her history class. Just like other teenagers. Lockers – Tyreesha thinks about dropping out of school “every day,” because she would be able to pick up a full time job and take care of her daughter now. “I’m not trying to drop out of school because, the school is like my way out, for me to get a good job to take care of her,” Tyreesha said. In Class – Thanks to a partnership between Douglass High School and the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Tyreesha spends half of her day studying, and half sterilizing surgical instruments for the hospital. The In-Between - The in-between time is precious for Tyreesha. The time between school and work and the weekend is the time when she can be with her daughter. “I just do what I have to do for me and my daughter and just don’t look back, just keep looking forward.”