Students juggle classes and children

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She carries toy cars in her purse for concerts at Ophelia Parrish. She plays with plastic dragons and Vikings on the floor. She enjoys going to the park to play t-ball and soccer. She looks forward to watching a Nick Jr. show called "Ni Hao, Kai-lan." Senior Sidney Morgan is not the average student.

Morgan is the single mother of her 4-year-old son Camden. He was born when she was 18. She waited a year before attending Truman.

The most difficult part of being a student parent is finding the time for school and extracurriculars when she'd rather be spending time with Camden, she said.

"I want to be able to go play with him all day but I have to come here instead and it's less fun," Morgan said.

Camden has joined Morgan in class on several occasions, usually when he's sick or daycare is closed, she said. Most professors have been good about letting her bring Camden with her to class, particularly Randall Smith, her Music Analysis professor freshman year, she said.

"Dr. Smith loves Camden and it's like every time he was there Dr. Smith always tried to get him to participate and act like he was part of the class, which was pretty funny," Morgan said.

Smith had Morgan in class when Camden was a baby. He said that the few times she brought Camden to class, she would bring paper for Camden to draw on. Smith said he would talk to Camden before and after class to make sure he felt comfortable in the classroom.

"Right before the class I'd just talk to him, ask him how he was doing," he said. "I didn't want him to be afraid. And then after class, I would always look at his picture, picture in quotes, scribbles on paper, you know, and tell him what a good job he did and how well behaved he was and so just tried to make him feel welcome."

Morgan has lived off campus every year at Truman. She said the two personal sacrifices she has made was feeling separated from her peers and feeling awkward around everyone her freshman year.

 "I wasn't ready to stand on my own two feet," she said. "But as they got to know me and I got to know them, and Camden was in the midst of all that, it's like they all accepted me for who I was and Camden for who he was and how he was part of my life."

Smith said he's really proud of Morgan and can't imagine how she has balanced being an excellent student and a single mom.

"She is a single mom and came to college with a year old son and she has been very dedicated and has been an excellent student. … She's got a very bright future because of her diligence and her perseverance and her discipline. She's very organized and she has it together. I can't imagine, how difficult college was for me, to come to college when you're 18-years-old with a baby. That's quite an undertaking. So, she's just done a fantastic job."

Morgan said she has never met another student parent at Truman. Currently 38 students listed dependents on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, said Kathy Elsea, director of Financial Aid. In the U.S. students with dependent children make up nearly a quarter, approximately 3.7 million, of undergraduate students, according to The Institute for Women's Policy Research. Single parents make up half of that, at approximately 1.9 million. At four-year institutions, 13.1 percent of students are parents, according to The Institute for Women's Policy Research.

Student parents who want to have the experience of living on campus around their peers have the opportunity with family housing in Campbell Apartments and Randolph Apartments, said John Gardner, director of the Office of Residence Life. He said although those in need of family housing, married couples or students with children, are not a huge population within Truman, all family housing has been filled at Campbell Apartments and they are opening spots in Randolph Apartments, which has not happened before.

"It's kind of exciting that we're having some more families interested in living on campus," he said. "We think that's a great, kind of new demographic that will add some diversity to our on-campus community."

Housing Placement Clerk Mike Bolle said a single mother of two children will be living in family housing next year, the first time within his two years in his position.

Junior Angel McGee is an expecting mother, due to have her daughter Leila in mid-May. She said that next year she will be living off campus with her boyfriend, raising their daughter together while she completes her last year at Truman. She's more excited than nervous about becoming a parent because her daughter is a blessing, she said.

"I think what I'm looking forward to the most is just the memories I'm going to create with her. I can't wait to … interact with her and see how she grows. … I'm just really excited with the journey I'm going to take with her and see what we come across together."

McGee expects that the most difficult parenting aspect will be balancing responsibilities at night. Taking care of her daughter solely will be the responsibility of her and her boyfriend, which will make balancing schoolwork, her job and parenting difficult, she said.

McGee, who volunteers at the Women's Resource Center, said she would like to be a role model for girls who are in the same situation and who might consider dropping out.

"Here I am, I'm a junior, and I'm still finishing. You can do it too. I did. Anyone can do it. My friend, she had a baby two years ago. She's graduating this year. It's nothing that should ever hold you back."