Still, Arciniega felt like some of her professors disregarded the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facing isolation and gender discrimination are just some of the many conflicts student parents face throughout their college experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amanda De Leon, 40, who\u2019s been married for several years and became a mother in 2007, worked for five years to obtain her associate\u2019s degree in Art History.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven though I wanted to finish up my degree, I put that on the back-burner, raised my daughter, and slowly took one online class at a time,\u201d De Leon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is on track to graduate from DePaul with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in museum studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De Leon\u2019s museum trips with her 16-year-old daughter have inspired her daughter to study Anthropology when she goes to college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n De Leon quickly realized that society has unrealistic standards for mothers \u2014 but especially student mothers. Setting an example for your children instead of being the \u201call-sacrificing mother\u201d is the advice she often gives to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing the pressures of these unrealistic standards for moms, Arciniega says she is on a mission to help other student parents as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She is the president of Mothers of Color Handling Academia (MOCHA) \u2014 a DePaul student parent support group committed to uplifting and bringing awareness to student parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two years ago, MOCHA in collaboration with DePaul\u2019s Basic Needs Hub, began gathering supplies, including diapers, formula, and wipes for DePaul student parents in need. Parents can request supplies for their children using an Amazon wishlist. The University then processes the requests and sends the parents the supplies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The past year, Arciniega began to advocate with the College of Education for a free on-campus daycare service for student parents. The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) application supports the participation of low-income student parents in postsecondary education by providing campus-based childcare services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The cost of child care is at an all-time high and student mothers all over the U.S. depend on close family members or relatives as a means of child care, according to the Women\u2019s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hillary Magallon, 25, of South Bend, Indiana, faced her own struggles with access to child care while being a single mother. This contributed to her decision to drop out of college twice, but she later re-enrolled in Ivy Tech Community College, pursuing an associates degree in general studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m a single mom, I can\u2019t necessarily ask anyone to watch my son, especially during the pandemic where I was alone with him, doing online classes, and dealing with postpartum. It was a very difficult time,\u201d Magallon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magallon is one of four million<\/a> student parents in higher education in the U.S., 43 percent of them are single mothers, while 16 percent of those are of Hispanic ethnicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though she has gone through several ups and downs throughout her education, it hasn\u2019t stopped her from getting involved in her school\u2019s extracurricular clubs, which encouraged her to complete her degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She is the public affairs officer for her school\u2019s Latino Student Union and praises them for being the most supportive throughout her entire academic career. She would often take her son to their meetings and events. Sometimes other group members would encourage her to bring her child along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She advises other student mothers to get involved in extracurriculars to stay motivated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Magallon spent this Mexican Mother\u2019s Day on May 10 walking across the stage at her commencement ceremony where her son cheered on from the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later this month, Arciniega is scheduled to graduate as well. Like many other student mothers, she recalls all the hard work and sacrifices it took for her to get to where she is now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI remember those long nights and lack of sleep and wondering when is this going to be over; now that it\u2019ll be over soon,\u201d Arciniega said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She thanks her family, her support system and MOCHA\u2019s advisor Ann Russo, for helping her throughout her journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cover Photo: Ilse Arciniega holds her daughter and poses for a photo at a graduation celebration in June 2022. Arciniega is a DePaul graduate student and mother who is graduating June 2024 after achieving her Masters degree. (Courtesy: Ilse Arciniega)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Publisher\u2019s Notes:\u00a0Student mothers share challenges they face as they work towards graduation<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0was first published on The DePaulia. To read the story in Spanish, click\u00a0HERE<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/depauliaonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_9122-e1715441981311-1200x1149.jpeg\")
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