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Don't Wanna Grow Up ...
mudent parents face uncommon hurdles on path to success
BY KIFFIN COLLINS
The Battalion
’m sorry my paper is late, but my daughter
has been sick,” is not an excuse professors
.expect to hear, but statements like this can
common in the life of a student with children.
Brenda Hebner, a senior agricultural development
ijor, was 21 when she had her first child and is dis-
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covering the hardships and benefits that come with
parenthood.
She said her decision to have a child while at
tending college was partly due to her strong belief
in Roman Catholicism.
“My family and I firmly believe in our religion,
and they strongly supported my decision to have this
child,” she said.
She said the most difficult part of being a moth
er and maintaining good standing with
the University is her limited time.
“When [my daughter] was first born,
I had to stay up all night with her to
feed and change her,” Hebner said.
“Now, when she gets ill or scared
during the night, 1 am the one staying
up with her until she goes to sleep. It is
hard to find time to study and do home
work. My day is scheduled around
her. ”
Hebner said the best part of raising
her child is the happiness her
daughter brings into her
life.
“Just the joy of watch
ing her grow and learn
makes it all worthwhile,”
she said.
One student, a senior
English major who de
clined to be identified, is
the mother of a two-year-
old.
The student was 17
when she became preg
nant and had to break the
news to her parents.
“I was the kind of per-
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to,” she said. “I was [a] good student and never got
into any trouble.
“At first, my parents thought my life was over, and
they mourned for me. I kept telling them T am not
dead yet’ and T will [raise this child].’”
She said her parents supported her afterward and
did all they could to help with money, babysitting or
tuition.
She said a typical day for her is long and tiresome,
beginning in the early morning and ending late at
night.
“I get up at 6:45 a.m. and get ready first then get
her ready,” she said. “I drop her off at day care, go
to class, go to work, attend class again, and pick her
up around 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon. She has af
ternoon activities once a week, and after that, we go
home, eat dinner, and she is in bed at 8:30 p.m. Only
then is it my time to study and do schoolwork.”
Like Hebner, she said the hardest part of caring
for a child while being a student is the lack of time.
“I have two full-time jobs, one of which is school,
as well as a part-time job,” she said. “Most people
can study during the day or after dinner. I am not
one of them. I get only a few hours of sleep each
day, and I am not able to study as much as I would
like.
“There have been many times that she has been
sitting on my lap at 3 in the morning while I am typ
ing a paper.”
She said even with the hardships, there are many
advantages in raising a child.
“I do everything by myself,” she said. “When she
gets sick, I am the one who takes care of her. I miss
class and work, but I manage well.
“She is what keeps me going each day. Her inno
cence and smile mean so much more than grades.
She can just smile and I know everything will be
okay. ” .
There are many child care centers in the Bryan-
College Station area. Many parents rely on them to
provide supervision throughout the day while they
attend classes.
Amy Gonter, assistant director of the Texas A&M
University Children’s Center, said the center offers
two programs for children six weeks to prekinder
garten, and one for those ages four to five years old.
“The Children’s Center serves faculty, staff and
students,” she said. “We have a full-time program
from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, as
well as a part-time program from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
allowing parents to attend class or work. Currently,
we have 160 children enrolled in our programs.”
Neither of the parents interviewed said they re
gret their decision. They only wish for more hours
in the day and that people would not judge or stereo
type them so quickly.
The student said she has faced stereotypes by oth
er students.
“People are quick to judge me because I don’t
look or dress like a typical mother,” she said. “They
talk about me behind my back and comment on my
ability to raise a child. I know I am a good mother,
as good as any 30-year-old mother.”
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