MTV "Teen Mom OG" star Amber Portwood faced criticism after she decided to pursue her college degree at Purdue University.
“Teen Mom OG” star Amber Portwood faced criticism after she decided to pursue her college degree at Purdue University. The star said she wanted to major in Psychology on the September 21 episode of “Teen Mom OG,” and it was a choice that some viewers found ironic.
Hundreds of viewers commented about Portwood’s decision to continue her education under the clip “Teen Mom” shared to Facebook.
“Wow!!!!!!!!!! She’s unbelievable,” one of the most popular comments said. “Amber, because you require a daily visit with a psychiatrist/psychologist, it no way means you have what it takes to be one. I’m sure patients wouldn’t want to be talking you off the ledge all the time.”
“Lol…. She’s the last person anyone should be taking mental health guidance from,” another person wrote.
Some people accused Portwood of being selfish. “She can’t figure out why her daughter has issues with her bc she’s so self-involved,” they said. “Idk how the hell she thinks she is going to help anyone else figure out their problems.”
Portwood’s relationship with her 12-year-old daughter Leah has been strained since the last season of “Teen Mom OG.” Things got worse when Portwood didn’t attend her daughter’s birthday and then slammed her ex-boyfriend’s wife on social media.
Portwood Always Wanted to Go to College
Portwood decided to get a GED after she had Leah because it was “almost impossible” to graduate from high school with a baby.
“I hate that my relationship with Leah is strained right now. But I want to continue to better myself. So I’m taking this opportunity to follow a dream I’ve had for a long time,” Portwood said in a voice-over. “Getting pregnant at 17 made graduating from high school almost impossible.”
“When you hear the word GED you don’t think of yourself as an entrepreneur,” she continued. “Now I’m ready to get my college degree, but I need to get accepted first and I’m kind of nervous.
Portwood revealed she was “very interested” in neurological psychology at Purdue University because she was “diagnosed with different types of mental illnesses.”
“For the past ten years, I’ve been going to therapists and psychologists and I’ve always been very curious and I feel like this is the next step,” Portwood said while talking to a representative at Purdue. “To put it together with an education like this I think it would be a really powerful thing to help people.”
Portwood was “happy” with how the phone call went.
“I’ve always wanted to do something with psychology,” she told a “Teen Mom OG” producer. “Back in the day, I didn’t think I can do it. I’m 30. I can get there. I can do it. I know I can.”
Kristina Anderson Encourages Leah to Go to College
While Portwood is pursuing a career in psychology, Kristina Anderson — who is married to Leah’s father, Gary Shirley — had a sit down with Leah to discuss education. Anderson curled Leah’s hair while talking to her about her own career path.
“I like that you still let me do your hair a little bit,” Anderson told Leah at the beginning of the segment.
“You know I’ve talked to you. I’m going back to school, to nursing school, you can always achieve your dreams,” Anderson told her step-daughter.
She wanted Leah to know that even though her own parents died before they could see her graduate high school, she still wanted to better herself. The one thing her mother always told her is that education can never be taken away.
Despite the heart-to-heart, Leah said she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go to college right after high school.
To find out what happens next, don’t miss “Teen Mom OG” when it airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.
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