My Story
My Story
Embedded Files
I have had two children since entering graduate school. I quickly realized that there are few policies and resources in place to support pregnant and parenting students at NC State. I believe that student parents should be acknowledged as an underrepresented and vulnerable group, which is why I am the founder & president of the Student Parent Association at NC State University.
Student Parent Association
Student Parent Association
I founded the Student Parent Association (SPA) in the fall of 2023. The SPA is a student organization that seeks to connect, support, inform, and advocate for pregnant and parenting students on campus.
In my role as President, I represent the interests of pregnant and parenting students on the Graduate Student Association and the Council on the Status of Women.
To join SPA or become a member of our babysitting network, click here.
Our Place in the Pack
Our Place in the Pack
Student parents deserve to belong in higher education.
Prior Advocacy Work
Prior Advocacy Work
Without childcare.
With childcare.
Voicing Concerns
Voicing Concerns
After being denied benefits of local childcare partnerships offered to NC State faculty, staff, and postdoctoral students, I wrote this letter to several administrators at the university, voicing my concern about the lack of supports for graduate student parents. This letter inspired the formation of the Graduate School Childcare Task Force, chaired by Dean Harries, which explored ways to support student parent childcare needs during the 2021-2022 year.
Proposing Innovative Childcare Solutions
Proposing Innovative Childcare Solutions
My fellow LDP graduate students and I proposed an innovative model for a on-campus childcare center that incorporates active older-adults as classroom volunteers to help reduce the adult:child ratio and offer opportunities for intergenerational contact that can benefit children, their parents, and older adults in the community. We proposed this model to the Graduate School Childcare Task Force in January 2020 as a possible solution for student parent childcare needs at NC State.
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