Spring Break
Women balance school and motherhood
Lauren Rose Waters
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: News
Leslie Reyna seems to be the average college student. On a school night, she drifts restlessly to sleep at a far-too-late hour on a school night. She takes a full load of classes everyday. And, like some college students, she is in love.
This night in particular, Reyna coasts into a heavy sleep at 2:30 a.m. But just as fast as her dreams come, they soon vanish; she is interrupted by the loud cry heard over a baby monitor that is perched right beside her bed.
Reality sets in: Reyna is more than the typical college student. She is also a mother.
More than 10 female students at Shorter are already mothers like Reyna. Another group of female students are currently pregnant or expecting. Several more pregnancies and cases of motherhood are happening nation wide.
The trend of motherhood occurring across the campuses of colleges and universities nationwide can be explained by a shift in priorities according to research done by the New York Times in 2006.
In the New York Times front-page article, the author asserted that females, aged 19 to 22, were more interested in having a family than having a career.
This change could be one of the reasons for the recent spike of pregnancies occurring within the college years.
According to the New York Times article, the amount of unwed college mothers was at a low of 5 percent in 1960. However, in 2008, the percentage has risen drastically to 60 percent.
Many colleges are beginning to offer aid to women who are mothers that maintain a healthy GPA and continue to do all the duties required of mothers.
The College of St. Catherine, a Catholic College in Minnesota, offers single-parent housing on campus at discounted rates.
Also, Endicott College in Massachusetts hosts a program called "Keys to Degrees," which offers single parents year-round housing and an array of helpful services.
Priscilla Diaz, a scientist at San Diego State University, conducted a self-concept experiment on women in college.
This night in particular, Reyna coasts into a heavy sleep at 2:30 a.m. But just as fast as her dreams come, they soon vanish; she is interrupted by the loud cry heard over a baby monitor that is perched right beside her bed.
Reality sets in: Reyna is more than the typical college student. She is also a mother.
More than 10 female students at Shorter are already mothers like Reyna. Another group of female students are currently pregnant or expecting. Several more pregnancies and cases of motherhood are happening nation wide.
The trend of motherhood occurring across the campuses of colleges and universities nationwide can be explained by a shift in priorities according to research done by the New York Times in 2006.
In the New York Times front-page article, the author asserted that females, aged 19 to 22, were more interested in having a family than having a career.
This change could be one of the reasons for the recent spike of pregnancies occurring within the college years.
According to the New York Times article, the amount of unwed college mothers was at a low of 5 percent in 1960. However, in 2008, the percentage has risen drastically to 60 percent.
Many colleges are beginning to offer aid to women who are mothers that maintain a healthy GPA and continue to do all the duties required of mothers.
The College of St. Catherine, a Catholic College in Minnesota, offers single-parent housing on campus at discounted rates.
Also, Endicott College in Massachusetts hosts a program called "Keys to Degrees," which offers single parents year-round housing and an array of helpful services.
Priscilla Diaz, a scientist at San Diego State University, conducted a self-concept experiment on women in college.
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