Celebrating Student Parent Month: The Power of Lived Experience
By Asha-Lee Peterkin
From left to right: Britt Spears Rhymes, Senior Higher Education Manager, Trasi Watson, Senior Higher Education Manager, and Dr. Brittani Williams, Director of Advocacy, Policy & Research.
This month, as we continue to celebrate Student Parent Month, we want to shine a light on the journeys of our staff who have firsthand experience balancing school and parenthood. Their personal stories inform the work we do and fuel our mission to create meaningful change for the student parent community.
When you ask Google what a student parent is, it will tell you that a student parent is someone enrolled in an educational program while also being responsible for caring for a child. This definition captures the basic reality, but it overlooks the emotional, social, and systemic challenges student parents face daily, as well as the unspoken strengths they develop along the way.
At Generation Hope, we take our unique experiences—our struggles, our triumphs—and use them to expand our understanding and break through the bubbles we all live in to understand another's. Whether we are first-generation students, student parents, or passionate advocates, we each bring something valuable to the table of hope, change, and innovation.
To highlight these stories, I spoke with some of my amazing colleagues who are or have navigated their own paths as student parents. Let’s dive into their experiences of finding the balance, what hindsight has revealed, and what they are looking to the future for.
Q: What emotions did you feel when you first realized you were going to be a student parent? How did those emotions evolve over time?
Britt Spears Rhymes
“At first I was overjoyed! This was planned, expected, and I felt I was as ready as I could be. Over time, I got extremely nervous and my pregnancy symptoms began to affect my day to day life. I had classmates and faculty who were pushing me to take a break from the program, but I was determined to finish my coursework the same semester I had my child. After a traumatic birthing experience at the beginning of January, I was back in class for the second week of school. Sometimes even pumping in class.”
Dr. Brittani Williams
“When I first realized I was going to be a student parent, I felt a mix of scared and nervousness. The nervousness was real, too—wondering how I would juggle everything, from schoolwork to taking care of my son. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to balance it all. Over time, those emotions evolved. I started feeling more confident as I found my rhythm. Of course, there are still stressful days, but I’ve learned to manage it and remind myself why I was doing this. It’s about creating a better future for myself and my son.”
Trasi Watson
“I became pregnant in middle school, 8th grade year, and was greatly influenced/impacted by society's view of me becoming a mother at such a young age. It took many years to begin to unravel the shame and feelings of burden that my children and I absorbed from society, the media, and those in our communities. I am proud to be a part of the work to change the larger landscape of how teen & student parents are looked upon and treated. It is also powerful to see how student parents and their children can soar when barriers are removed and they are fully welcomed into spaces, especially educational spaces.”
Q: How did you manage to balance your academic responsibilities with parenting?
Britt Spears Rhymes
“It became quite challenging managing academic responsibilities, full-time work, being a spouse, already parenting another child and just the ebs and flows of life. My community was the most beneficial part of my experience of parenting while being a student. My community consisted of family and friends, other parents in my program, and peers; creating networks of connection that were vital to my success. This sense of interdependence enriched my life as both a student and a parent and taught me the importance of building strong, supportive relationships.”
Dr. Brittani Williams
“I had to get really good at time management, breaking up my day into chunks so I could fit in everything—from working to schoolwork to family time. Having a set routine helped a lot. Sometimes I’d study after my son went to bed or wake up early to get things done before the day really started. My husband was and has been a huge support. It’s not always perfect, but being flexible and willing to ask for help made it easier to keep moving forward.”
Trasi Watson
“By the time I made it to college as a single mother of two young boys, I was desperate (and determined) to provide my children with a "new life." This motivated me to be extremely organized with my life (time, work life, home life, etc) and to prioritize everything around my academics. Everything came second to my larger goal of graduating college and providing for my children. My sons shouldered the biggest sacrifices. I am not sure if I ever truly "balanced" any of my responsibilities. We, thankfully, endured and survived them.”
Q: What was the most rewarding aspect of your experience as a student parent?
Britt Spears Rhymes
“Being able to prove the naysayers wrong and persevere through an entire academic year while pregnant, another spring semester of postpartum, all while parenting another child, has been one of my greatest successes as a parent thus far. While there were certainly challenges, the strengths that I gained from being both a student and a parent far outweighed the limitations.”
Dr. Brittani Williams
“The most rewarding aspect of being a student parent has been knowing that I’m setting an example for my sons. Seeing them watch me work hard to achieve something meaningful has been a huge motivator.”
Trasi Watson
“The most rewarding aspect was (and is) the outcomes. There were many times, during undergrad and grad school, that I was on the edge of stopping out of college. Looking back from where I and my children started and, then looking ahead to where we were just two years after I completed graduate school, there was a world of difference. After those six years of struggle (undergrad & grad) we experienced the world differently. We thought about ideas and dreams differently. I, as their parent, walked and talked differently.”
Q: As someone who has been in the shoes of the people Generation Hope serves, how has your personal experience influenced the way you approach your work at Generation Hope?
Britt Spears Rhymes
"My work is deeply informed by empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by student parents… I approach every interaction with a focus on not just academic success, but also mental health, financial stability, and overall well-being."
Dr. Brittani Williams
"My personal experience… allows me to connect with the parents we serve because I’ve been in their shoes. I’m passionate about helping other student parents see their potential, just like I had to learn to see mine."
Trasi Watson
"There is a level of understanding, empathy, and compassion that I have for teen and student parents that doesn’t need words or explanation—it just is… After years of navigating negative stereotypes, I can also address and support the 'resistors' who need encouragement to become student parent champions."
It's important to recognize that every month is Student Parent Month for us. We want to make it clear that there is no "ideal" student parent. Just as we are individual people with unique stories, each person’s story of balancing school and parenthood is different.
But one thing we can all agree on is that this community needs more support. At Generation Hope, we are committed to partnering with change makers to ensure that student parents get the resources, opportunities, and recognition they deserve. We are not only supporting student parents but transforming systems that often work against them.
