As freshmen, students are beginning a new phase of life, by moving into a new dorm room stacking boxes and bags to the ceiling. The last thing on a student’s mind is becoming a parent.
Jasmine Wiggins, graduate architecture major and founder of the Collegiate Mom’s Pageant, expressed her views on life as a graduate college student and a mother of two young girls.
Wiggins said, “The hardest part about it is that the campus is not equipped for my lifestyle. For example, there are only changing tables in the Criminal Justice building bathrooms, but nowhere else on campus.”
Parenthood comes first to students with children, but others believe the university should not accommodate students with children.
Wiggins said, “I am a mother first and earning my degree is just as important. I am a student and because of that I am required to pay fees. Prairie View should accommodate me and any other needs that I may have. The school accommodates handicapped individuals along with many other people with needs, why would I be any different?”
The fathers on campus are not always recognized. Lloyd Richardson has a two-year-old son.
From his experience being a father and being heavily involved on campus, he stresses the importance of time management.
He believes the university should incorporate accommodations for parents such as daycare, changing tables, and family housing.
Prairie View A&M University has single parent students forcing them to make the drastic decision about whether they should continue with their education.
Many students have made the decision to stop their education and return to school later, only to faceg the same problems as before. Being a parent while in school may bring more responsibility than the average college student, but their struggles are just as important.