SAC Adds Resources To Help Student Parents Succeed

SAC student Marissa Garcia often does her homework with her laptop in front of her, a 4-year-old on one side of her and a 2-year-old on the other.

While it’s not always easy juggling parenting, a full-time job and college classes, she’s surrounded by reasons to keep going.

“My 4-year-old child says, ‘I want to go to a big school like you,’” Garcia said. “I know that by attending college, they have me as an example.”

Parents like Garcia make up 23 percent of SAC’s student population, said Lina Scott, a scholarship coordinator in the Office of Student Success. Because this group faces unique obstacles in their education, SAC is strengthening its efforts to support student parents and help them stay in school.

A new page on the SAC website serves as a central listing of resources for student parents for the first time.

The list includes help for any student in need, such as the Resource Room by Whataburger, a food pantry with perishable and non-perishable food items, toiletries and diapers, and the Armadillo Boutique, which provides professional, casual and children’s clothing to students. These and other supports are available at the Student Advocacy Center on campus.

Other resources are specifically for parents. A student-parent support group, the Student Parent Network, began on campus in February. The group meets weekly, providing lunch and welcoming children while connecting students to resources such as financial aid, counseling and more.

SAC recently added family-friendly facilities, such as dedicated lactation rooms in three buildings on campus and diaper-changing stations to restrooms in older buildings. Starting this fall, multiple parking spaces on campus will be reserved for student parents with small children and pregnant students. At the SAC library in the Moody Learning Center, children can read and play quietly in the KidSpot, a family-friendly study space, while their parents study nearby.

Student parents also have access to priority registration at SAC so they can register early for the classes that fit their schedules.

One of the biggest challenges facing student parents is childcare. While the Early Childhood Center on campus provides high-quality childcare students for children ages 12 months to 4 years, there are currently only 50 spots available for children of students.

The Alamo Colleges District is currently exploring options to address childcare needs for students, including vouchers for childcare services in the community and the possibility of drop-in childcare on campuses, Scott said.

For Garcia, some of the most critical support has come from caring professors at SAC. When she felt overwhelmed, her professors gave her the help and understanding she needed to complete her work and stay enrolled.

“Several times I wanted to give up, but the professors were so flexible and worked with me,” she said.

All professors within the ACD, including SAC, are trained to work with student parents to help them succeed, whether that’s referring them to support outside the classroom or offering flexible deadlines for assignments as needed.

Serving the student parent population is becoming a priority throughout the ACD to help this population of students stay enrolled and complete their education.

“This is really becoming a focus,” Scott said. “One of (ACD Chancellor) Dr. Flores’ priorities is breaking the cycle of poverty through education.”

The Empowerment Center on campus was another source of support for Garcia. The center helps non-traditional students succeed in school by connecting them to advisors, financial aid, and campus resources. Garcia joined the center’s Adelante Leadership Academy, where she was able to develop leadership skills while networking with other student parents.

“They understood that being a parent and going to school has its struggles, but they provided resources to make it easier for you to continue,” Garcia said.

Garcia will graduate at the end of the fall semester with an associate degree in social work. She’ll then transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

But she’s looking forward to graduation for another reason. As a recipient of the LULAC Parent/Child Scholarship, her successful graduation means one of her sons will be able to attend any college within the Alamo Colleges District tuition-free.

Garcia encourages any parent thinking about pursuing a college degree to do it, because the support is there.

“Take the initiative and you won’t regret it. Everyone is so helpful and they will help you accomplish your goals,” she said. “It’s never too late to start.”

-SAC-