Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra from “16 and Pregnant” came to Iowa State on Thursday to talk to students about their teenage pregnancy and why they chose the path of adoption.

“I have been a fan of the show and teen pregnancy has affected some people around me growing up. It was just nice to hear a successful adoption story in person,” said Brooke Berg, sophomore in child, adult and family services.

The Students for Life Club were not only the majority of the crowd but also the sponsors for the event.

“We are not here to push adoption, we are here to educate,” said Dawn Baker, a pregnancy and adoption counselor for Bethany Christian Services.

Lowell and Baltierra are known from the hit MTV reality show “16 and Pregnant.” They were unique to the show because they chose to have adoption as a life plan for their daughter Carly.

“I was raised by a teen mom,” Lowell said. “If you are raised by a teen mom, most likely you will also end up a teen mom like me.”

The young couple went to Bethany Christian Services once they decided adoption was their final decision.

“I wrote a pros and cons list, pros and cons of parenting, pros and cons of adoption,” Baltierra said, “and adoption just kind of took over.”

Dawn Baker was the counselor who guided Lowell and Baltierra throughout their adoption process.

She helped them choose Carly’s adopted family.

“She deserved better parents that weren’t 16 and so young that didn’t have anything,” Lowell said.

Both Lowell and Baltierra grew up in troubled homes, Baltierra from a single mom and Lowell from a teenage mother. Through their struggles, they have stayed together.

“It was pretty wild growing up for both of us,” Baltierra said.

The couple has been together since the seventh grade. They are now 21 years old and engaged.

“I wanted this perfect life for my kids when I started to have them,” Baltierra said.

The couple said that adoption was the right choice for them and that it was in their hearts.

“There were a lot of things I didn’t know about adoption and how open it could be,“ Lowell said.

The couple has been traveling around speaking in support of adoption and why they made the right decision for them.

Their decision gives them open communication with their daughter, Carly.

“That’s the good things about adoption, you are totally in control of it all,” Baltierra said.

Both Baliterra and Lowell are currently pursuing their college degrees after promising Carly they would make her proud when she was born. 

“We live by that everyday,” Baltierra said. “We wont stop until those promises are met.”