The Duggar girls tend toward the traditional when it comes to family roles, but that doesn't mean that none of them work outside of the home. Along with childrearing and domestic duties, some of the sisters have pursued interests of their own. While probably not the family breadwinner, Joy-Anna Duggar does have a career of her own, or at least she did. Following in her father's footsteps, she appears to be interested in a career in politics.
Shortly after the news broke that Duggar was courting with her childhood friend Austin Forsyth, the world learned that she had also found a job. She has been working at the Arkansas State Capitol like her father, according to the Duggar Family Blog. Both Joy-Anna and her brother Jedidiah Duggar landed internships with the Arkansas House of Representatives in Little Rock. Little information has been shared about the siblings' time interning.
Joy-Anna's interest in politics is probably not a surprise to her followers, as she and Forsyth have been very open about their political views on social media. Even with the two announced Joy-Anna's pregnancy, they slipped in a pro-life plug with a photo caption that said, "Life offers no guarantees but abortion offers no chances." That was along with a photo of Forsyth holding a sign that read, "Abortion kills children."
Joy-Anna, much like her sister Jinger, has been toted as a family rebel and therefore was expected to break the mold when it comes to personal and professional choices. The Hollywood Gossip pointed out that Joy-Anna's internship was over a year ago and there is still no word on her next steps politically. One would expect her to enroll in college courses with a focus on her desired field, but she appears to have no academic aspirations at this time.
When she announced her pregnancy, fans had mixed reactions to her decision to start a family at such a young age rather than attend college or start working. When E! News announced her pregnancy, one commenter on the article said:
It's sad when she's only 19 and hasn't lived her life. She doesn't know anything else though besides [how to] be a wife and have kids. Like her mother and sisters. It's crazy how not ONE dugger [sic] wants to go to college or do something actually important with their life and have children later.
There were also plenty of comments saying that her life is "her decision," and that she "looks happy." Public opinion aside, Joy-Anna is still very young and there is plenty of time for her to decide to go to college or work on her professional development. Many moms go back to school or decide to make a career change after having children, so she definitely still has options.
Perhaps not surprisingly, a lot more has been shared about Joy-Anna's relationship with Forsyth and their growing family than her professional aspirations. The famous family's large fanbase watched as Joy-Anna's relationship with Forsyth grew from friends, to courting, to marriage, and finally a baby. Much like her professional life, Joy-Anna's family life has endured a bit of scrutiny as well.
Her bump has been deemed "too big" for the baby to have been conceived after she and Forsyth got married, fueling rumors of premarital sex — which is a big no-no for the Duggar family. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you that no two pregnancies are the same, and different women grow at different rates during their pregnancies, but the speculation is there anyway.
It isn't exactly clear what Joy-Anna has been doing for a living since the end of her internship, but what is clear is that it is her business how she spends her time. Whether she's working or focusing on being a stay-at-home job, I have no doubt that she will find happiness.
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