Balancing motherhood and a full-time job is a feat in and of itself. Adding education to the mix can lengthen your to-do list and seem overwhelming. However, going back to school while raising children is both an empowering experience and an admirable choice. And Georgia State Online offers a wealth of flexible degree programs for working parents who are balancing multiple responsibilities.
Join us in celebrating Working Moms Day and congratulating our students who are accomplishing their dreams with Georgia State.
Angelique Willis
Angelique Willis is a graduate student in the Department of Geosciences and a mother. Born and raised in Georgia, Willis had her son in the 10th grade.
“Just knowing that I didn't want to be a statistic, I knew that I had to push myself, and I had to finish college some way, somehow,” Willis said. “I have been working full-time and going to school full-time all my life up until now.”
Willis attributes her college success to the online programs Georgia State offers. With a bachelor’s and master’s in public health under her belt, Willis has plenty of experience balancing the tasks and responsibilities of motherhood with those of her jobs and education.
Now, she’s in the geography master’s program and plans to pursue her Ph.D. After completing this degree, Willis wants to work in urban and regional planning to ensure that marginalized populations have clean drinking water.
“Because I'm just doing so much, I'm juggling a lot at a time, so it's more than just school and work that I'm doing,” Willis said. “I'm also engaging in community organizations and helping them run their organizations and creating websites for them and doing community outreach, going to the capital, you know, advocating for environmental justice bills.”
For Willis, the challenge of juggling multiple responsibilities is how she thrives.
“That gives me the most enjoyment in my life and it may have something to do with the way that I was raised,” Willis said. “Like, it was challenging growing up and either you fell victim to those challenges or you overcame them and you grew as a person and moved on. And so, with me, I don't fall victim to challenges. I embrace them and I move on and I get better.”
Rennia Rochester-Wilson
Rennia Rochester-Wilson moved to the United States from Jamaica after college, and she moved to Georgia from New Jersey with her husband 13 years ago. Now, they have an 11 year-old daughter.
Rochester-Wilson had a career in hospitality, but she decided to pursue a new path for stability and change. She attended Georgia State for dental hygiene, working full-time while fulfilling her prerequisites.
‘Thankfully for me, I had the support system of my husband, so he was able to back everything while I was in school full-time,” Rochester-Wilson said.
Now, Rochester-Wilson works as a dental hygienist, but achieving her bachelor’s degree won’t be the end of her education at Georgia State. She looks forward to pursuing a master’s in public health with a minor in epidemiology next.
Having a full schedule is a challenge, but that doesn’t discourage Rochester-Wilson. “It's not really a chore, so to speak. It's just something that I have to do,” she said.
As for advice for other working moms, Rochester-Wilson believes in the power of a schedule.
“It's carving out that time and creating those schedules and trying to stick to them,” Rochester-Wilson said. “But at the same time, be open and flexible to changes because things can happen, especially as a mom with kids.”
Georgia State’s Online Options
It requires hard work to balance a job and school work while being a parent. However, the challenge is exceptionally rewarding.
Georgia State recognizes that every student is different, and so are their academic needs. With online programs and customizable course loads, it’s possible to succeed in higher education with a family, as exemplified by Angelique Willis and Rennia Rochester-Wilson.
Are you a parent pursuing higher education? Take a look at Georgia State Online’s programs to explore flexible options.