In celebration of March being Women’s History Month, Biola is highlighting alumnae who are faithfully serving and leading in their communities. This monthlong series features women whose work reflects Biola’s mission in action.

In high school, as she supported one of her best friends through a teen pregnancy, alumna Dianna Smiley (Martinez, B.A. ’03) began to see her future career take shape. After earning her degree in Christian Education — now the Bible, theology and ministry degree — from the Talbot School of Theology, Smiley served in her church’s youth ministry for 10 years. Her passion for young mothers continued to grow as she saw many participate in her ministry. 

image shows Dianna and another team member with baby items
Dianna Smiley (left) representing Generation Her

“We had several teenage mothers in our youth ministry who were pregnant or parenting, and the church started a Teen Moms group for them. I was working part time with that ministry and was creating curriculum for it,” said Smiley.

Smiley’s dream of starting a nonprofit organization focused on the health and flourishing of teen mothers developed as she served in her church.

“I fell in love with that population, and God gave me a vision of a nonprofit that was outside of the church and expanded with life skills, mentoring, parenting education and more,” said Smiley. “I have such a passion for moms and motherhood and teen girls and God put those two together.”

Smiley founded her nonprofit organization, Generation Her, in 2009 to provide resources for teen mothers navigating motherhood and to offer hope not only for their futures but also for their children’s.

“The most significant thing Generation Her offers is hope,” said Smiley. “Our community of young mothers immediately hears, ‘Your life is over,’ the second they become pregnant. Many young women who have not encountered Generation Her give up right there and live that out, living in poverty, never obtaining a career or education and living off of government assistance for a lifetime. We offer love, empathy, encouragement and hope to a community that desperately needs it. We teach them that their life is not over, it is just beginning. Babies are a blessing and they are so brave for choosing life for that baby.”

Generation Her offers weekly programs, including in-person and online classes, that provide early motherhood education, life skills and parenting advice for teen mothers and pregnant teens ages 13-25 at three locations throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. The nonprofit encourages independence in teen mothers by providing life skills classes such as budgeting, money management, job interview skills, parenting, resume building, cooking, self-defense, nutrition, stress and anger management, relationship workshops and more. While 51% of teen moms never graduate high school, more than 90% of mothers participating in Generation Her programs graduate or earn a GED.

“We are in our 15th year, and we have seen many trends come and go, experienced highs and lows and we have pivoted with this ever-evolving culture,” said Smiley. “I am proud that we are still going strong and growing as an organization and that we have changed and impacted over 3,500 young moms, plus all their children, as we approach our 16th year.”

As her organization has grown, so has Smiley’s faith in Jesus Christ. Although stepping into the world beyond the church was outside her comfort zone, Smiley trusted that God would use her to impact others.

“I have been able to show Jesus to those outside the church walls and through my relationships with our young mothers,” said Smiley. “Our Generation Her moms are so open to knowing Jesus and having a relationship with him, and I am so encouraged by them as they become Christians and grow in their faith over the years.”

While Smiley’s heart for young mothers continues to grow, she traces much of her preparation for this calling back to her years at Biola University.

“Everything I learned in my major classes at Biola has been essential to what I do now with Generation Her. My professors truly poured into me and my classmates inside and outside of our classes and really taught me what the heart of ministry is,” said Smiley. “It's not just about creating programs but about pointing people to Jesus and creating an eternal impact for those in our ministries. I also learned the business side of running an organization, teaching, creating programs and being a great leader. My education is priceless to me, and it has helped me to successfully lead and develop Generation Her for all these years into what it is today.”

At the Talbot School of Theology, students are prepared for a lifetime of gospel-centered, Spirit-led ministry. With programs online, in Southern California and worldwide, Talbot offers flexible, trustworthy seminary training to equip students for their calling. Learn more and apply today.

Written by Sarah Dougher, media relations specialist. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.