(Photo submitted by Karen Elizondo)
By Caitlin Yilek, Staff Writer -- yilek12@up.edu
While some students wake up minutes before class, grab a cup of coffee and rush out the door, a typical school day for junior Nichole Lehr involves waking up at 6 a.m.
Twenty-one year old Lehr, a social work major, not only cares for herself, but also for her 2-year-old daughter, Gabbi.
After getting ready for school and daycare, the two hop on a bus to downtown Portland and then transfer to a bus that brings them to North Portland by 10 a.m.
"I take (Gabbi) to daycare at the university and then head off to class," Lehr said.
According to Lehr, the two arrive home shortly after 5 p.m. depending on traffic.
"I make dinner, give her a bath and get her ready for bed," Lehr said.
Lehr said she tries to have her daughter in bed by 9 p.m.
"That's usually when I start my homework and then I stay up however late I need to in order to get it done," Lehr said. "School days are long, but (someday) it'll all be worth it."
Junior Karen Elizondo, a social work and Spanish studies double major, remained a student until she was eight months pregnant. After the birth of her 1-year-old daughter, Dayanara, she took a medical leave of absence.
"It's challenging to keep my priorities balanced, but I usually do homework between classes or when my baby is sleeping," Elizondo said.
Elizondo said being a mom and finishing school would not be an easy goal to achieve if she had not received financial support from scholarships, which pay for most of her tuition.
Lehr works 30 hours a week, but also relies on her mom for support.
"I don't think I could do it without my mom," Lehr said. "She puts a roof over our head and does pretty much everything that a second parent would do."
Gabbi's father left Lehr when she was four months pregnant, Lehr said.
"I guess he didn't want to have her even though he told me he would always be there for me and our child," Lehr said. "He's never once seen her, and I would rather have it stay this way because he doesn't get to choose when to walk in and out of her life."
Though she has little time to date, Lehr said she does not believe having a daughter affects her dating life.
"I don't think having Gabbi affects my dating life because I know plenty of men who are not afraid to date someone just because they have a child," Lehr said.
Elizondo is engaged to the father of her daughter.
"We plan on getting married through the Church after I graduate," Elizondo said.
After she graduates, Elizondo plans to pursue a career as a medical or public health social worker.
Not only does Elizondo have family support, she also found support from professors.
"I feel lucky to say that I have had professors that are extremely understanding and supportive," Elizondo said.
Lehr has also recieved support from UP faculty.
"They understand that, being a single mom, I don't have the option or the luxury of having someone else stay home with her," Lehr said. "She is my number one priority. If she is sick I put her before work and school."
Though Lehr makes sacrifices – for example, she could not major in Spanish because she cannot study abroad – she believes having a daughter is the best thing to happen to her.
"She has made me into the person I am now," Lehr said. "No one believed that I would continue on with my education after I had Gabbi, and they were all wrong. You can do anything you put your mind to."
Elizondo said her life has changed completely since having her daughter.
"There are so many amazing experiences you get as a mom," Elizondo said. "I have learned love I never could have guessed, patience I didn't know I had and strength when I didn't think I could manage anymore."
(Photo submitted by Nichole Lehr)
