Unexpected Pregnancy at 21: Finding a Safety Net with Kristen Mardis

Kristen Mardis was 21 years old, fresh out of college, and had just been accepted into graduate school when she found out she was pregnant. With no financial safety net and no health insurance, she had to quickly figure out how she would care for a baby while still pursuing her dream of becoming a speech pathologist. In this episode, Kristen shares what it was like to navigate Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and childcare assistance — and how those programs gave her the foundation she needed to build the life she has today.

“None of that would have happened without those programs.”
Hear Kristen talk about:

1. Finding out she was pregnant just weeks after being accepted into graduate school
2. How Medicaid and SNAP helped her access prenatal care and feed her baby
3. Navigating childcare assistance so she could finish her master’s degree
4. The stigma around government assistance — and the dignity everyone deserves
5. How her experience shaped the way she now serves families in her work as a speech pathologist

Mentioned in this episode:

1. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
2. Medicaid
3. Childcare assistance programs

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