Like many working adults in college, Kelly Lopez struggled to find a babysitter for her child and endured long commutes to attend school, but in August, the Reading, Pa., resident earned her degree in public health from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Unlike many college students, it took her 15 years to finish.
Lopez, who will participate in an official graduation ceremony next May, said a 1980s sitcom was one of her main reasons for choosing Temple.
“I grew up in the time of The Cosby Show. Bill Cosby is Temple. He had all this passion for Temple,” said Lopez, who moved to Reading from Puerto Rico at age 3. “Once I started researching Temple, I wanted to stay in the area. Temple was a very good school and not too far from home. It was the only school for me.”
Lopez credits Temple with allowing her to create Chicas in Charge, a five-week program in Reading that helps Latina girls ages 14 to 17 learn about preventing sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy.
She began working on the project while taking a two-semester program planning course that explained how to budget and market a health program and write grants. Lopez presented the project during an internship interview at the Co-County Wellness Services office in Reading. While working there, the project became a reality in July, when about 10 teenage girls took classes on birth control and the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Teen pregnancy hits Lopez personally. r two brothers and two friends had children while in high school. Her friends graduated from Temple and are pursuing master’s degrees. Her brothers have families and are working steady jobs.
