Providing support to West Virginia University student parents working toward graduation is Student Family Resources, a unit within Student Life dedicated to helping students with families achieve their higher education goals.
“This is something that is definitely doable,” Alexandria Broadus, a University graduate from Hagerstown, Maryland, said of her completion of a social work degree with minors in psychology and addiction studies a year after giving birth to her son, Zeppelin.
“It’s not easy, but it’s doable and whenever I look at his little face, I’m just, like, ‘OK, I can continue to do this.’”
After finding out she was pregnant heading into her junior year, Broadus — who is also a member of the West Virginia National Guard — describes her pregnancy as being filled with worry about balancing parenting and school.
At times, she seriously considered suspending her studies, at least temporarily. That changed when she found out she qualified for much needed help with day care costs through Student Family Resources.
“Going into my senior year with a newborn, I had to figure out how I was going to cover a 400-hour internship and have him taken care of,” Broadus said. “Student Family Resources took off so much stress and helped me place my 4-month-old son in day care which allowed me to complete my studies and internship requirements.”
Since its inception, hundreds of University students who are parents have benefited from a variety of programs and services offered through Student Family Resources to support retention, recruitment and wellness, as detailed on the unit’s newly relaunched website.
This article is republished from WVU Today — read the original article.
