FULL-TIME MOM-Christa spends as much time as possible with her son, Zach, while she also studies music education at Wartburg.

FULL-TIME STUDENT-Christa spends many hours studying (as pictured right) and practicing her clarinet (as pictured left) to keep up at Wartburg.

Currently, the rates have declined. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, between 1991-1998 the U.S. birth rate for teenagers 15-19 declined 17.7 percent from 51.1 births per 1000 teen girls in 1998. While this trend is encouraging, the U.S. teen birth rate remains notably higher than the rates in other industrialized democracies.

How bad of a problem is teenage pregnancy? The United States has the highest pregnancy and birth rates in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually. More than four out of 10 young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20Ñnearly one million a year. Eight in 10 of these pregnancies are unintended and 80 percent are to unmarried teens.

Compared to other states, Iowa has a significantly lower teenage birth rate. In 1997, Iowa had 36 births per 1000 teen girls. In 1996, there were 6,210 births to mothers between the ages of 15-19. Eighty-one percent of these teens are unmarried.

What happens to teen-age girls who do become pregnant? Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school; only one-third received a high school diploma. They are more likely to end up on welfare; nearly 80 percent of teen-age mothers end up on welfare.

However, not all teenage mothers end up dropping out of school and going on welfare. Some teenagers make the choice to keep their child and still continue on in their schooling to make a successful life for themselves and their children. The numbers previously mentioned are just statistics and facts; they don't show the real story or the people who are affected by this.

This may come as a surprise to some people, but there are teenage mothers attending Wartburg College. One student, Christa Payne, was willing to share her story.

Christa Ruth Payne is a 20-year-old sophomore majoring in music education. Christa gave birth to a boy, Zachary Kenneth Payne, on Oct. 16, 1997, when Christa was a senior in high school. Christa said that when she first found out she was pregnant, she couldn't believe it and was in shock. At first, her parents were very unhappy that she was pregnant. The first few months were very intense.

"Luckily, they came around, and now Zach is the best thing in the world to them," said Christa.

Christa said she never considered an abortion and that it was never an option for her. Her parents wanted her to give her baby up for adoption, but Christa felt that he was too much a part of her. She said she knew from the beginning that she would keep her baby.

In Christa's hometown, there was a lot of gossip when people found out she was pregnant. At first, Christa said that people were cold and judgmental. Some still are, but most of her community has accepted them.

Christa also does not have support from her son's father, who left not long after she found out she was pregnant. He told her he wasn't ready for marriage (or a family) and she hasn't heard from him in more than a year.

Christa said she felt that it was still very important to go to college and further her education. She wanted to provide a good life for her child and not get stuck in a dead-end job.

Christa's life is quite a bit different from the average college student's. Zach lives with her parents while Christa is at school.

"I don't get to see Zach as much as I would like. I miss all the little things he does during the day," Christa said. "I miss giving him a bath and tucking him in. Sometimes, I think it's not worth it because I miss him so much, but I know I'm doing the right thing for us."

Christa said she thinks about things differently since she became a mom. She budgets money more carefully and drives a lot slower. She said she has to consider what is best for her son before she can make any kind of decision about anything.

When Christa tells people at school that she has a son, most are surprised but are really nice. There are those who make judgements, Christa said, but they are outnumbered by the ones who support and encourage her.

How does Christa deal with something that is on almost every college student's mind...dating?

It is even harder for Christa to find a "significant other" because she has to say to herself, "Would this person be a good role model for my child?" Also, she said she feels that there aren't too many guys who want to date a girl who has a child and the responsibility that goes with it.

Christa said she is glad she decided to come to Wartburg. She loves what she is studying (music education) and thinks she will love her job when she graduates. She said it is hard, but knowing she can give Zach a good life helps a lot.

In the future, Christa would like to get married, establish a career and someday have more children. For right now though, she just wants to finish school.

Christa said that Zach is her own personal miracle, and even though the timing of his birth wasn't the most perfect, she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.