SOPHIA Abraham just got a new piercing, and her mother Farrah couldn’t look more pleased about it.
The Teen Mom‘s daughter, Sophia Laurent, adores wearing alternative clothes and gothic makeup.
Just last month the nepo baby debuted not one but six first tattoos – six bats, with three inked on each side of her abdomen.
In a similar time frame, Sophia also got “permanent fangs” installed on top of her teeth.
Now Sophia has added to her collection of body modifications again by having her belly button pierced.
Taking to Instagram to share the new bling, Sophia posted a snap inside the tattoo parlour alongside the artist and her mom.
The happy trio posed for a mirror selfie where the ladies were beaming away while the artist threw up a peace sign.
“New body modzzz belly piercing and ear gauges. best piercer ever,” Sophia penned in the post’s caption.
“and best mother ever.”
After the sweet snap Sophia shocked fans by sharing two graphic videos of her piercing and the ear gauges being done in real time.
Fans in the post’s comment section felt divided about how much freedom Farrah was letting her daughter have.
Some thought it was great that Sophia was allowed to do what she wanted with her own body.
Whereas other thought too much was happening that she could regret when she grows up.
“I am so glad I didn’t get the ink I wanted when I was a teen because my taste changed drastically,” said one user.
Others shared the same sentiment, sharing: “Any sane, rational, sensible parent knows the makeup isn’t a huge deal But allowing her to mutilate herself… […] she has NO IDEA what she wants as an adult.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, fans flooded in with compliments for Sophia’s look, as well as sent love to her supportive mom.
“Love how she’s embracing her individuality,” commented one viewer.
Another clapped back: “The ones who were never allowed to express themselves growing up are now being bitter! Period! She [Sophia] looks stunning.”
Teen Mom fans first met Farrah when she starred on MTV‘s 16 & Pregnant in 2009, while she was expecting Sophia.
At the time, she was preparing for single motherhood following the father’s death.
Farrah went on to star in the spin-off series Teen Mom OG until she was fired in 2017 after being caught working in the adult entertainment industry.
Since her time on the program, Farrah has also dabbled in some stand-up comedy while continuing to face backlash about being a “bad mom“.
Most high schoolers have to worry about Friday night football games, getting good grades, and picking a college. But Lily Gordon’s teen years looked a lot different, as she dropped out of high school and worked hard to make ends meet and keep her and her infant son housed and fed.
At age 15 Gordon was shuffled between foster care and her mom’s custody, in between Butte and Oregon, her home state. After becoming pregnant, she had to live on her own without parental support, taking on full responsibility for herself and her child, while she was a child herself.
“I always wanted to go to college,” Gordon said. “But life happened early for me.”
For years, she worked in restaurants and as a dental assistant. Her colleagues there encouraged her to go to college.
“They told me I could be more than an assistant,” she said. “They encouraged me to go to dental school, so when I first started at Montana Tech, that was my plan.”
Gordon applied to Montana Technological University the day after she took the HiSET exam- the high school equivalency diploma test. Once she was inside the classroom, she found her path diverged from dentistry.
“The more ecological classes I took, the more I realized that’s what I wanted to do,” Gordon said. “I like being outside, I love water, animals, plants—all of it.”
A guest lecture about fungi sealed the deal
“I listened to a talk on mycorrhizae—the fungi that connect trees underground—and I thought, this is the kind of stuff I like,” she said with a smile. “I love mushrooms. I love the woods.”
Now a junior in the biological sciences- organismal track, Gordon envisions a career as a restoration ecologist, working in the field to help heal damaged ecosystems. She plans to earn an additional certificate in ecological restoration. Gordon is already gaining experience through an internship with Ripple: The Center for Education and Ecosystem Studies, and hopes to work with a local environmental consulting firm in the spring. She’s also conducted hantavirus research with Dr. Amy Kuenzi and works in the microbiology lab on campus, preparing materials for classes.
Gordon works evenings at the M&M Café to help pay for school. She and her husband have two additional children in their family.
“I’d say the hardest part of college has been not being able to work as much,” she said. “It’s been a financial strain, and my husband’s the main breadwinner. I’ve gotten scholarships that help, but I use them for daycare or groceries, not just tuition or student debt.”
The TRIO Student Support Services STEM program has assisted Gordon on her journey. It is a federally funded program designed to serve first-generation, income eligible, and students with disabilities. The program provides opportunities in academic development, financial literacy, career awareness, and other college requirements. TRIO Student Support Services STEM serves to motivate students towards the successful completion of their post-secondary education. It’s led by Director Carissa Johnson.
“TRIO has been amazing,” she said. “I meet with Carissa once a month—she’s like an unpaid therapist. She reassures me that I’m doing great and that I’m not making a giant mistake.”
That encouragement has helped her through challenging moments, including the time she had to withdraw from calculus.
“I was having a crisis because I was failing,” she said. “Carissa made me feel like it was okay—that I made a smart decision instead of letting it destroy my GPA.”
Despite the long days—classes, work, homework, and parenting—Gordon says her children keep her motivated.
“My kids love that I’m in school while they’re in school,” she said. “They’re my biggest cheerleaders, along with my husband.”
As a first-generation student and mother of three, Gordon knows her path is different—but she hopes her story will show others that success doesn’t have a timeline.
“I’d love to be an advocate for other teen moms,” she said. “I want girls to know that their world isn’t over just because things didn’t go as planned. It might take longer, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.”
The Institute of Educational Opportunities will be hosting a series of events celebrating first-generation college students, staff, and faculty on November 5 through 7, as part of a National First-Generation College Student Day on November 8. Please join us in the celebration by participating in any or all of the events below: