The Star Tribune featured the stories of two LeadMN student leaders as they juggle being a parent and student during the pandemic.
Ever since the pandemic began, Amanda Schermerhorn has put her children's schooling before her own.
Managing her four kids' ever-changing remote and in-person class schedules is often a full day's work. So Schermerhorn, a full-time student at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Detroit Lakes, works around the clock, carving out time to complete her online classwork late at night and early in the morning.
"Juggling four schedules in addition to mine … definitely makes it a lot more hectic," said Schermerhorn, who used to study during the day while her kids were at school. "We're all feeling a little stressed."
College students across Minnesota have battled stress and burnout during the pandemic, but perhaps no group of students has been more overwhelmed than those who are raising children while they pursue a degree. These students are scrambling daily to meet class deadlines, earn a paycheck and oversee their children's lessons. And they are weathering this exhausting academic year without the in-person study groups, tutoring sessions and campus resources they typically rely on.