When she was in middle school, Madeleine Lambert wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. Her dreams were put on hold, however, when she found out she was pregnant at age 13. She gave birth to her daughter when she was 14 years old and ended up dropping out of school.
Still, she remained determined to succeed, and now, at age 21, she’s celebrating her college acceptance.
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In November 2024, Madeleine's college essay went viral.
“My college application essay that made my mom cry,” she wrote in a TikTok post that included her college essay. According to Today.com, Madeleine decided to apply to a four-year biomedical program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Prior to that, she earned her GED in 2022 and obtained an associate’s degree.
In her essay, she wrote about the 'many labels' people gave her after she became a teen mom.
“My name was Madeleine, but people knew me better as Anxiety, Trichotillomania, and Teen mom,” she wrote in her essay. She’s faced other labels throughout her life as well, such as “That girl who got pregnant at 13” and “Dropout.”
She remained determined, however, to “overcome the odds and give my daughter the life she deserves.” Wanting to have a positive influence on her daughter, she ditched the “dropout” label and went back to school.
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'My name is Madeleine, but one day it will be Dr. Lambert,' she asserted.
In a powerful conclusion to her essay, Madeleine wrote about finding her “new name” through her academic pursuits. “The world has given me many labels, but this one – this title – I will earn myself,” she wrote.
She told Today.com that when she got pregnant at age 13, people thought she would never “amount to anything.” Madeleine wanted to “prove them wrong” and provide inspiration to other young moms, she told the news outlet.
In the comments section, people reacted to her essay.
“I work with HS students applying to college so I read many essays each year, this is probably one of the most beautiful college essays I’ve ever read,” one person commented on the viral essay. Another TikToker encouraged the former teen mom by writing, “Dr Lambert, you can do it.”
Now, she's celebrating her college acceptance.
In January 2025, Madeleine shared an exciting update: She’s received her college acceptance letter. Her followers, many of whom have followed her on YouTube since she was a teen mom, flocked to the comments section to congratulate her.
“I am honestly in awe,” one person wrote. “You’ve accomplished more now than others do in their entire lifetime. you’re a huge inspiration.”
“You deserve this so much Maddie,” another person wrote.
