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By Assarine “Ashley" Morgan
It’s 3 am and Assarine “Ashley” Morgan is awake and praying, keeping in mind
her mother’s words “God walks at 3 am.” She has a strong belief in God and asks
for his help throughout each day. It has been only three hours since she lied down to
rest. After a day filled with classes at Fayetteville State University and balancing the
responsibilities of her cleaning business “The Dust Bunny,” the single mother of two
young children, still must take care of her family. In just a few hours Ashley’s daily
routine will reset and she will begin again.
It is true that challenges in life multiply and become more complex with age.
While not all college students understand this, there is a group that must balance
work, family responsibilities and classes. According to the Department of Educa
tion 13 percent of adult students were single parents in 2011. Fueled by the desire
to achieve and provide for their families, these students define the non-traditional
degree seeker
Ms. Morgan initially obtained an Associates degree in Arts in May of 2010 from
Fayetteville Tech Community College before enrolling at FSU. At FTCC 18 to 27
credits each semester helped her complete a fast track to education. A traditional
undergraduate student might find this workload overwhelming, however, for a single
mother, like Morgan, it was the only way she felt should could meet her educational
goals. She graduated from FSU last May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psy
chology and expects to graduate again from FSU with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in
Communications this May.
Most adult students are also employed to meet their financial obligations. The
economic downturn in the past five years has driven many people to seek additional
jobs and alternative sources of revenue. The weight of an uncertain economic fliture
has prompted some individuals, like Morgan, to try their hand at entrepreneurial ven
tures. Morgan has been operating her company “The Dust bunny” since Dec. 2010.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor of 2010, five percent of col
lege students were in business for themselves, an increase fi'om 2007 when only 2.2
percent of students reported owning a business. Another survey conducted by the
Young Entrepreneurial Council suggested students went into business to supplement
their income from daily jobs, to meet the increasing cost of living, and 23 percent
reported it was because of unemployment. In addition, individuals found that social
media had made it easier and cheaper to market their products and services, allowing
them to engage in small business ventures. Small business owners face high risks of
failure as more than 50 percent of small businesses fail after four years, according to
the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Owning and operating a company was not her first choice, Morgan, a Jamaica
native, initially sought to enlist in the Army. However, her father did not believe it
was a woman's place to be a soldier, and so Morgan went on to other pursuits. She
performed exemplary in all her subsequent job opportunities, as her belief in her own
ability and mental composure remained strong.
The struggles of a female working parent and non-traditional student reveals, that
their greatest stumbling block lies within the perceptions of society. Society is still
not receptive to the idea of women who assume the role of breadwinner and take on
competitive positions in the business world. In some instances, family and friends
are the biggest roadblocks who discourage them from pursuing further education
and careers. Not all women have been fortunate enough to get jobs with benefits and
sufficient financial security. The choice to continue with their education or to accept
minimum wages is presented and they must decide. Morgan continued her education
because it would guarantee a better job in future, and hopefully a better life as well.
Their continuous plea is for the society to have an objective look at their capabil
ity. This is because they look at their wide responsibilities not as a hindrance but a
motivation to be proficient. The other struggle they have to contend with on a daily
basis is the ability to plan. Unfortunately, planning skill are not an inherited trait, but
are learned as one grows and faces challenges.
A good number of college students juggling work and parenting have acknowl
edged the possibility of failing at some point. The failure was not inevitable as a re
sult taking on too many responsibilities, instead failure often results from an inability
to plan. Those who are able to stay the course and hone their planning skills are able
to derive immeasurable benefits.
In addition to all of the physical and, at times, emotional challenges the greatest
test remains to be one's mental perception. Obtaining educational goals while simul
taneously carrying on other responsibilities require a great deal of composure.
Success in all endeavors requires that an individual remain focused. While there
have been many cases of successful student entrepreneurs, the truth is that many
more try and fail. A large number of them lack the required support to succeed while
others are boggled down by the challenge. Again, the latter has largely to do with
one’s mental strength. The one thing that has been common to all those who have
succeeded is great composure and a never say die attitude.
Despite the many obstacles entrepreneurial college students and single parents
face, most of them feel satisfied with their achievements. They choose to focus on
the things they have accomplished and the bright future ahead. Furthermore, their
greatest satisfaction comes from seeing their families, especially their young and
ambitious children, continue to give their love and support. Moving forward, the
driving force for this group of students remains their families and the strong social
groups they have surrounded themselves with. This explains their attachment to those
people who matter most, because being human means at some point they will need
a shoulder to lean on.
Another common characteristic to success is their steadfast believe in God. Many,
like Morgan, remain pious as they are convinced it is through God that their plans
will be actualized. Ultimately, this group of people hopes to pass along their strong
work ethic, self-reliance, confidence, belief in education, and trust in God, to their
children. They are convinced that this is possible because they have been able to live
it and their actions have spoken louder than any words.
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