Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 2 No. 5

JEFFREY KELLY
THE BALANCING ACT OF
BEING A
STUDENT
PARENT
While in college, many students have found
that to survive, one must become a semiprofessional
juggler who can skillfully keep
their education, extra-curriculars, friends, fun and
mental wellbeing aloft at the same time.
However, few manage to do so without dropping the ball
on occasion and for students who aren’t just managing
their lives but the lives of children, this juggling act
becomes even more complex.
According to the United States Government Accountability
Office’s 2019 Higher Education report, more than one in
five undergraduate students are raising children, and
about half of student parents left school without a degree.
Yet, the journey isn’t easy for those student parents who
continue to pursue higher education. Student parents
become master jugglers: juggling academics, daycare
schedules, doctor’s appointments and much more.
Kenneshia Dallas, a freshman majoring in hospitality
management, said parenthood has taught her many
lessons about life, like how it’s okay to ask for help.
“You can’t do everything; you can’t be superwoman, and
that’s okay,” Dallas said.
Dallas began college at the University of Alabama as a
first-generation student in 2015. Yet she was unsure what
she wanted to do, so she joined the military, but a week
before she finished, Dallas found out she was pregnant.
She had her baby in 2018, and from there, she focused on
working and figuring out what options she had for her
future.
It wasn’t until the pandemic began in 2020 that she
decided to pursue her education again. After talking
to a UA advisor, Dallas began taking classes at Shelton
State Community College to increase her GPA; then, she
transferred back to The University of Alabama.
The pandemic was a catalyst for many. While Dallas
decided to start back at that time, Christian Thomas, a
junior majoring in news media, had just had her first baby
and decided that it would be best if she didn’t participate
in the Spring semester.
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