{"id":22,"date":"2024-02-23T20:44:59","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T20:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2024-volume-7-issue-1\/going-to-college-as-a-parent\/"},"modified":"2024-06-14T01:15:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T01:15:35","slug":"dont-let-fear-stop-you-dvc-student-parents-create-new-opportunities-for-themselves-and-their-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2024-volume-7-issue-1\/dont-let-fear-stop-you-dvc-student-parents-create-new-opportunities-for-themselves-and-their-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Let Fear Stop You: DVC Student Parents Create New Opportunities for Themselves and their Families"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI came to DVC with a lot of barriers that might have prevented me from going back to school. But thanks to the support I\u2019ve received, I found ways to make it possible,\u201d said Tara Lanoie.\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A single parent with two daughters, Lanoie chose DVC to take steps towards a career in social work. She enrolled in DVC\u2019s addiction studies program and will also earn an associate in arts for transfer (AD-T\/AA-T) in psychology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing in recovery myself, the addiction studies program gives me an opportunity to give back. During the pandemic, I enrolled in online classes to fulfill my dream of going back to school. But it can be challenging to go to school, work and manage a household, while keeping mental health in check,\u201d said Lanoie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Tara

Tara Lanoie<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Lanoie is aware that parents sometimes must miss school due to their children getting sick or withdraw from classes if they lose their childcare. She credits DVC and some key programs for helping fill in some of the gaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a student parent, I can get priority registration to let me choose classes to fit my schedule. Through the CalWORKs program, I receive transportation support, and financial assistance with books and supplies. The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) program provides supply kits, community support, tutoring, and community events. CalWORKs pays for my childcare so I can go to work and school. Through the Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) program, I receive study time childcare grants that help me to pay the out-of-pocket expenses of childcare and food for my family as well,\u201d said Lanoie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lanoie is a peer advisor for the EOPS program. This not only enables her to share her knowledge with other student parents; it also enables her to have valuable experience she can apply towards her academic and career goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI plan to transfer to Cal State East Bay to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology and continue on to earn a master\u2019s in social work. I would like to work with families and at-risk youth,\u201d said Lanoie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lanoie strongly encourages parents interested in continuing their education to consider DVC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI truly feel that without the support I received at DVC, being a college student would not have been possible. Don\u2019t let fear stop you from being the best you. You belong at DVC, and it is so worth it,\u201d said Lanoie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Student parents belong at DVC\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cCommunity colleges attract a variety of students at different stages of life. Many students at DVC are adult learners who are also parents,\u201d said Dr. Emily Stone, the dean of counseling and student success programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stone understands that finding a sense of community and belonging are key to academic success. This is especially true for student parents, who may be starting college for the first time, or may be re-entering college later in life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeer connections with students on a similar path are incredibly important for student parent success and retention. DVC offers a variety of programs and services to support student parents,\u201d said Stone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another way DVC is supporting students with children is by allowing them to register for classes earlier. This is due to new California legislation that added student parents to the first group of priority course registrants at community colleges.\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis benefit is extremely valuable to parents, as they have unique scheduling needs, including coordinating classes with their working hours, childcare, and other commitments that make attending school a challenge,\u201d said Gabe Harven, the director of admissions and records at DVC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DVC course schedules are available a year in advance, enabling students to map out their education plan. Programs and services that can provide support to student parents include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n