Keosha Davis

4316 McKinley Drive

Charlotte, NC 28208
(704)-232-5594

January 4, 2017

Judges of the Graduation Project Board

Harry P. Harding University High School
2001 Alleghany Street
Charlotte, NC 28208

Dear Judges,

As a student at Harry P. Harding University High School, the graduation project introduced an
opportunity to research a debatable topic and to connect this topic with my community. The topic I selected
was single parents. I chose this topic because I am a teenage mom who is a single parent, but not really a
single parent because my child father is in penitentiary so my father replaced him.

Being a single parent can be hard and lonely. There is often no other adult with whom to share
decision-making, discipline, and financial responsibilities. The full burden of finding responsible childcare,
earning a living, and parenting falls on one individual. However, the lack of a second parent often has a
less negative impact on children than family instability, lack of structure, and inconsistent enforcement of
parental standards. Even though some people believe unmarried people have the right to be parents, a two
parent home is better than a one parent home because a childs emotional, psychological, and educational
well-being, financial security, and better long term life effects.

The senior exit project affected me in a positive way because I learned more about parenthood. I
learned that having two parents is better than one. Research has shown that children who come from two
parent families or two parents working together are better off than those who do not. This project had me
thinking it was an easy process, but writing this essay turned out to be stressful and hard. However, in the
end it was worth it to write about this topic because I have gained knowledge about parenting and the
effects of having two parents in a childs life.

I would like to thank Dr.Ijames for everything she has done; if it was not for her I wouldve never got
this far. I wanted to drop out but she would not let me give up. I also would like to thank Ms. Chiquita Boyd
for your time, for helping me, and also encouraging me to strive to do better. And last, but not least, my
father, and grandmother who raised me and did not let me give up with life. To the judges, I appreciate your
time as I present my senior paper.

Sincerely,

Keosha M. Davis