Hi! I'm Chris

I am an award-winning author, speaker, podcast host, and founder dedicated to mentoring young women and single mothers to achieve academic and personal success and emotional health and wellness.

I am the founder of Teen Moms Anonymous, a non-profit 12-step support group and recovery program for any woman who experienced the helplessness, hopelessness, and shame (all marks of trauma) of a teen pregnancy, abortion, or both and is consumed with toxic shame.

Our mission is to provide participants with information, resources, and opportunities to recover and heal their toxic shame; become more confident, skilled women and mothers; and break the multigenerational cycle of toxic shame and teenage pregnancy affecting their children.

I am deeply committed to supporting others. The daughter of a teenage mother, I was caught in the cycle of toxic shame and teen pregnancy. My success story is one of breaking the cycle of teen pregnancy and healing my toxic shame—a journey I now help women embark on through Teen Moms Anonymous. 

My academic and professional background underscores my expertise. I earned my B.A. in English from Wofford College and M.Ed. in Secondary English from Converse College. I began my career as a public school English teacher and served in that role for seven years.

I later advanced to higher education, receiving my Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and holding a position as Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Claflin University. My doctoral research focuses on strategies to support pregnant and parenting students (teen mothers) in achieving their educational goals.

In 2023, I published my first book, Helping Teen Moms Graduate: Strategies for Families, School, and Community Organizations (Rowman & Littlefield, Feb. 15, 2023) which received two prestigious awards:

• Nautilus Book Award (Silver Winner, 2024)
• PenCraft Book Award (Literary Excellence Runner-up, 2023).

My doctoral research focused on strategies to support pregnant and parenting students (teen mothers) in achieving their educational goals.

Outside of my professional work, I enjoy maintaining a balanced and enriching lifestyle. My personal interests reflect my holistic approach to wellness and life balance. I enjoy being outside, yoga, traveling, gardening, shopping, and decorating.

Someone asked me what I attribute my success to. Without question, it is my faith and my commitment to remaining teachable. My faith provides guidance and purpose in all that I do. Maintaining a teachable spirit enables me to learn from every experience, adapt to new challenges and grow both personally and professionally.