• Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024

Finding a balance for work, family and school can be a challenge

ByKaren Cisne

Mar 28, 2011

Kaylee Huckaby works and attends college full time and is the single parent of her 2-year old son, Tanner.

She said the advice she’d give to students with family responsibilities is, “just do it!”

“Set up a support system, talk to an adviser,  fill out your FAFSA, research schools and jobs and all of your options,” Huckaby said.

One option that Huckaby said she found helpful is online degree completion. Currently, Huckaby said she’s taking Sinclair Community College and Bowling Green State University online courses and needs only 20 more credits to complete a Bowling Green bachelor’s degree in Advanced Technological Education with a minor in Human Resources.

Although she now learns online, she said she began her college days in a dorm on the campus of Bowling Green where she earned an associate degree in Science between August 2006 and June 2008.

“When I became pregnant with my son, I was starting my junior year at BGSU. Since my son’s father and I were not on the same page, I decided to move home for family support,” she said.

After trying unsuccessfully to transfer Bowling Green credits to Wright State University, she said she discovered Bowling Green’s online program.

“So I started classes, and I had my son, Tanner, 10 days later,” she said. By the end of the semester, she said she managed to get a 3.5 GPA.

Even though she said she learns as much, if not more, online as she did in the classroom, she misses the personal socializing with in-person attendance. She fills the void by maintaining a network of
close friends and family.

“Now, instead of going out partying, my friends come over after my son’s nap time and we have a glass of wine,” she said. “I have a great group of girlfriends who are always there for a night on the town, a girls’ night in, a play date or a pity party.”

In June 2010, Huckaby said she added a full-time job to her busy life. While she works daytime hours at Lastar, Inc., Tanner goes to daycare.

“I enjoy coming to work because it gives me time to socialize with adults and my son time to socialize with kids,” she said. “I come home and play with my son, then, when I put him to bed, I have peace and quiet to do my homework. If I have a terrible day a work, and my son is cranky, I can often just push my assignments off until the next night since I have up to a week to complete an assignment.”

She said she minimizes stressful times by getting plenty of sleep, planning carefully and keeping a strict routine. She said her son goes to bed, wakes up, eats and naps on a very tight schedule Monday through Friday. And if she sometimes feels the need to be off the “mommy” clock for a few hours, her friends or family members pitch in.

“I just try to remember how blessed I am that I have had the opportunity to continue school, with an unplanned
pregnancy, and make decent money with a stable company,” she said.